Dark Effects
by liidg
Summary: A change of circumstances ends with Hermione on a dangerous mission.  Will she be able to keep true to her cause when faced with dark temptations?  This is dark, very much Rated M,  A/U and quite a bit OOC.
1. Chapter 1

A/N No copyright infringement intended and no profit has been made. This is merely a writing exercise.

The story is rated M for sexual content, language, adult themes and violence. Do not read this story if you are not of legal age to do so. This story is A/U and OOC. It is dark.

This story is a Bellatrix/Hermione story and will end that way. I want to thank everyone who has read and reviewed, faved or followed this story. Of all the stories I have written, this one was the one I enjoyed writing the most. Knowing someone else likes it is what keeps me writing. Reviews are my Scooby snacks.

When I originally posted this story I did not have a beta. I am re-posting it and hopefully the grammatical gaffes and other mistakes have been corrected. The re-post is merely to fix mistakes and I have not dramatically changed the story. If you see something we missed feel free to P.M. me.

Thank you to Asher Henry. Asher beta'd this in record time. She has been absolutely amazing as my beta and I highly suggest checking out her stories as she is a brilliant writer as well.

Dark Effects

Chapter 1

As she sat on the dais she looked around at the crowd and she marveled at her surroundings. Today she would be receiving her Order of Merlin, First Class for exceptional valor and heroic services to the Ministry. If someone had asked her if she, the brain of the golden trio, the bookworm that hid in the library, the mouse, would ever end up here she would have laughed. In her mind it was always going to be Harry getting the accolades, not her, and that was how she wanted it. She never wanted to be standing here but that's how some things work out. The Minister started into what she knew would be a very long winded speech. She used the time to reflect on how she got here.

Thinking back it all came down to the Battle of the Department of Ministries. That's where everything changed. If that night had not happened she would have stayed the brains of the trio and would have never been considered a factor in combat. She would never have been recruited so early by the Order and she never would have ended up here as a war hero.

She frequently wondered where she would be if things played out differently that night. She knew she wouldn't be standing here and she didn't know how she felt about that. She wasn't just the bookworm anymore; she was a soldier and Head Auror for the Ministry. She was about to be made a department head of a new department. She was highly ranked and well respected both within and outside of the Ministry and overall her life was great. Sometimes at night she lay awake thinking about everything that she had done and she knew she was the greatest hypocrite to ever live.

She knew from the beginning the Department of Mysteries was a trap. She warned Harry, but he didn't listen. He never listened. The six of them went, Harry, Ron, Ginny, Luna, Neville and her. They shouldn't have been there and they shouldn't have brought Neville who wasn't ready for combat. The boy was too sweet for his own good.

The Department of Mysteries is where she first saw her, the woman who would change her life. Bellatrix Lestrange taunting Neville was a memory that still stuck out in her head. On Harry's orders they had lashed out with the reducto spells destroying the prophecies and getting a chance to escape. The fighting broke out as the Death Eaters pursued. They did well considering Hermione was the oldest one at 16. They just didn't do well enough to not take casualties. That's how it started. That is when she went from bookworm to fighter. Dolohov hit Neville with a curse she had never heard of, he had screamed "Attero pectus pectoris" slashed his wand and Neville dropped. Hermione ran to Neville as Harry battled Dolohov. When she rolled him over she realized he was dead. He looked so peaceful. Neville had been protecting her and she was overwhelmed with guilt and anger. She didn't really remember much of the battle after that. She went after Dolohov and hit him with a Crucio while he was fighting with Harry. She held it and wouldn't let him go.

Harry put him in a body bind and pulled her away finally breaking the spell. She looked back to see the man who murdered her friend twitching in a pool of his own urine and felt justified. They ran down the hall and came across Ron and Ginny fighting off Lucius, Nott and Rookwood. As they joined their friends, Luna soon appeared around a corner being chased by the Lestranges. Harry and Ron laid down a bit of cover fire for her as she joined their small protective circle. As they exchanged spells the five found themselves being backed up into a large room that looked a bit like an auditorium. In the middle was a large arch with a misty glow to it. They were outnumbered two to one and were being backed towards the veil. Hermione could hear whispering from inside the veil and she knew they needed to avoid it.

Ron was struck in the thigh and Luna moved to cover him. As she moved into a defensive stance near Ron, Rudolphus Lestrange hit her with Sectumsempra. Hermione felt a warm sticky splash and she was covered in Luna's blood as the curse tore through the airy girl. She reacted on pure instinct as Luna fell to the ground. She screamed "Avada Kedavra!" at the top of her lungs and a green jet shot out of her wand. Bellatrix Lestrange snarled at her as she watched her husband fall next to where Luna lay.

"You little mudblood bitch, you will suffer more than any person has ever suffered" She looked to the other Death Eaters, "No one touches her but me!". Bellatrix raised her wand and Hermione engaged her. The others were now even more outnumbered as Hermione dueled with Bellatrix, Hermione was getting tired and several spells had hit her. Her right arm was burned, she had a gash on her forehead and she thought she had a couple of broken ribs. She was not the best dueler and she was clearly outmatched. She soon lost her wand. She looked toward her friends and realized they had been subdued. Ron was holding Luna trying to stop the bleeding while being guarded by Mulciber and Nott. Hermione was surprised she was still alive. Lucius had Harry pinned to the floor and was holding the prophecy. She looked back to Bellatrix. The witch was twirling her wand while laughing at her. She knew she would die but she wouldn't cower. She looked Bellatrix square in the eye, held her head high and waited for the inevitable. Bellatrix looked a bit taken aback by Hermione's gall.

"Hermione Granger, mudblood know-it-all. I have read your file. I wouldn't have thought you had it in you."

Hermione smirked, "then your file is wrong."

Bellatrix hit her with the Cruciatus curse. As Hermione dropped to the floor she felt as though her body was on fire. She actually wished for death as it felt like ten thousand needles were hitting her body. It stopped abruptly and as she gathered her wits about her she realized the Order had appeared. The Death Eaters were retreating and Lucius was running out the door with the prophecy. She got up to chase after them. She righted her wobbly legs and sprinted up towards the lobby where they had headed. The Order was following as were the remaining D.A. members. She shot a stunner at Lucius but Mulciber blocked it. Mulciber, Rookwood, Bellatrix and Rabastan were covering the escape of the others. Dolohov was being carried into a floo by Rabistan and then they disappeared. Lucius followed with the prophecy. The remaining Death Eaters were battling with the Order. Bellatrix honed in on Harry this time but Sirius stepped in and the cousins were ferociously throwing spells at each other.

Harry grabbed his scar in pain and fell to his knees and upon seeing this Hermione instinctively took a defensive stance near him and looked around. She barely got up the shield spell as a red light flew towards Harry. Hermione went to engage the attacker and found herself facing Voldemort.

She was lucky to be alive after Bellatrix, she knew she was done for against Voldemort. She almost dropped her wand but she found her courage again as she was flanked by Harry and Ron. In the five years they had known each other, the three friends had accumulated a laundry list of stupidity: running a gauntlet of traps and tests designed by their professors, chasing after basilisks and giant Gryffindor eating spiders, taking on a werewolf, aiding and abetting a wanted criminal, taking on a dragon and merpeople, befriending a giant, leading the current headmistress to be captured by the Centaurs (she got warm fuzzies thinking about that one), creating an underground army and of course attempting the ritual known as dating. Nothing compared to the trio deciding to take on the most feared wizard in history. The Order was focused on combating the Death Eaters and clueless to the trio's brave and foolhardy actions.

They started trading hexes with the Dark Lord. One or two of the trio would cast protective spells while the others attacked. They alternated between hexing and shielding which kept them fresh and Voldemort off guard. Fudge entered the Ministry with several Aurors and Percy Weasley in tow. He saw the man battling the trio and took off his hat to mourn for his career. Fortunately the Aurors and Percy were quite a bit nobler than the soon to be ousted Minister and they jumped into the fray forcing the rest of the Death Eaters to escape through the floos. Sirius also flooed out upon the arrival of the Aurors least he end up in Azkaban again.

Hermione smirked as she noticed Dumbledore walked up behind them. Emboldened by their new backup the trio closed the ground towards Voldemort. As the approached Voldemort laughed and cast a Serpensortia. Instead of one particularly cranky cobra, the trio was faced with approximately thirty very annoyed snakes of various venomous breads. She thought of her personal mantra for the last 5 years which helped her in all of their adventures, WWID. What Would Indy Do? Before anyone else could react to the snakes, Hermione cast several Lacarnum Inflamares. Fire shot out of her wand in huge streaks backing the snakes away. Everyone in the room, Dumbledore included, were impressed with the move.

"Clever, you're the mudblood bookworm aren't you? The file says you do poorly in duels and physical challenges. I am surprised."

"That seems to be a recurring theme today, might I suggest updating the file" She had no idea where her courage was coming from but she knew she needed to keep him distracted while the Order and Aurors surrounded him.

"I think you're right" Voldemort gracefully bowed, "until we meet again."

With that he turned to a mist and disappeared. The Order members ran to them as mediwizards and healers were sent downstairs. Neville and Rodolphus were dead as expected but Luna was alive, if only barely. The other Death Eaters had escaped.

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Their statements were taken in the visitor's lounge at St. Mungo's as they waited for news on their friend. Hermione had cast two unforgivables, one of which being the killing curse, and was under the highest scrutiny. Of course this was a society that literally had its prisoners' souls sucked out piece by piece, day by day. As the victims were Death Eaters she would be hailed as a hero but an investigation was still necessary. She was too frazzled by the day's events to know how she felt about that.

Neville's grandmother came, but Hermione didn't know what to say to her. She didn't need to though. Instead of wanting an explanation or revenge, the witch thanked her. She told Hermione she only wished she had Avada'd Dolohov too. When the witch left, she looked to Harry to see his reaction. She knew he was thinking the same thing she was, she had just killed a man and tortured another and she was being congratulated for it. He was the only one who saw the horror in her actions. Even Ron had 'atta boy'd' her.

She had maintained her cool facing Bellatrix, Voldemort and a Ministry Inquiry. She had held herself together for hours waiting to find out about her friend. She needed to break down a bit. She walked out to a small garden in the back of the waiting area curled up on a bench and cried. She stayed like that until she felt something brush against her. She looked up and saw the Headmaster handing her a handkerchief.

She scooted over a bit and he sat down next to her.

"Ms. Granger, you will hear many things over the next few days. You will be treated like a hero, a villain, a savior and a pariah. Don't be afraid to cry and don't be afraid to lean on your friends. You are different now; don't let that change alienate you from others. You can't change what has happened and after this your soul will be a darker, don't let this push you to the shadows. The Order will make sure you get through the Ministry investigation but there are bigger problems."

She looked up, "Voldemort?"

"We are so confident that you are going to clear the investigation because pressure is coming from both sides. Tom wants you cleared and I am not sure what his end game is. You killed Rodolphus, he may want to make sure you end up in Bellatrix Lestrange's hands, but usually his actions are self -serving. We need to address your safety until we know where this is going; under the circumstances I am assigning you a mentor. You will be able to talk to him about how you feel and he will train you to defend yourself. We both know Tom's file is not wrong; you're clever but not a great dueler. Severus Snape will be training you; you will learn combat, occlumency and defensive skills. You will train over the summer and if you still need watching next year then we will tell people you are acting as an assistant to him. You cannot tell your friends." He raised a hand to stop her from interrupting.

She bit her tongue and let him continue.

"As you now know, Harry is vulnerable and Voldemort can still use his connection to find out information. Ron is noble at heart but his jealousy is his great weakness and makes him hot headed at times. I am sorry Hermione, but you are now deeper in to this than any of us had planned. You turn 17 in two weeks; fortunately the Ministry doesn't know this. Your time turner usage is unrecorded and that gives you an advantage of four months of training under the radar. You will spend the summer at Grimmauld Place and you will be inducted into the Order while you are there. The trace will automatically cease upon your birthday and you can spend the time improving your skills without interference from the Ministry."

"What about my parents, they will go after them."

"We anticipated that. Your parents have already been moved into a safe house. We will arrange for you to see them before you begin training but after that they will be moved again and only a handful of people will know there location. Welcome to the war Hermione."


	2. Chapter 2

Dark Effects

Chapter 2

He watched as she paced around the room. She had been venting for hours but he couldn't figure out why. Rodolphus was fool on a good day and a monster on a bad one. She hated her husband and Voldemort always presumed she would kill him herself. Maybe why she was mad, the mudblood robbed her of the pleasure. Voldemort was a master of psychology as it came hand-in-hand with being a despot, but understanding Bellatrix was something no one could master.

Voldemort was deciding whether sending a thank you owl to the girl would be crass. He would have killed Rudolphus himself years ago but Rabastan was one of his best men and more importantly the Lestranges added significant galleons to his war chest. Rabastan had run off to the mudblood's house against his orders the night before. He was getting revenge under any circumstances and chose to ignore his Lord's direct order.

Unfortunately for the vengeance obsessed pureblood he ran into Aurors who had been stationed there hoping someone would make the mistake. Rabastan quickly joined his brother care of Kinsley Shacklebolt. He lost one of his best men, but he would have done the same once Rabastan blatantly flouted his edict. The best part is that Rabastan was single which meant both men's estates went to Bellatrix. He was surprised at the damage that had been done. Two dead and Dolohov was still being patched up, and all this because of one little mudblood school girl.

He knew that his file definitely needed to be updated, there was more to this woman than met the eye. Unfortunately, Rodolphus made his file and did so with the usual skill and commitment he applied to all his endeavors; maybe a fruit basket for the girl would be proper.

She was resourceful and clever and that made her a dangerous enemy. She eliminated a thorn in his side he couldn't so he she had done him a great service there but cost him Rabastan in the process. The Gryffindor Princess, as she was apparently titled, was now the center of his enforcer's attentions and Bellatrix was erratic at times and a sadist to boot. She was also hands down his most skilled and loyal follower and was only rivaled by Severus in the intelligence department. He needed her by his side and having this mudblood as a distraction wasn't helping.

"Bella! Stop ranting and get Severus. The two of you meet me in the study."

Thirty minutes later he was sitting behind Lucius' desk and Bella and Severus were sitting before him.

"I want to know everything about Hermione Jean Granger."

"My Lord, she is a know-it-all book worm chit."

"Severus, I know how much you dislike the girl, but I want facts not feelings. Tell me what you know."

Severus began a long winded diatribe. He glossed over what he could but Severus knew the Dark Lord's information would be quite thorough after this fiasco and he needed to stay in his good graces. He filled him in on which tests Hermione passed the first year in pursuit of the sorcerer's stone, her polyjuice potion incident, discovering the basilisk and her relationship with Viktor Krum. He left out her time turner use and rescue of Sirius Black. He also left out some items about Dumbledore's Army but he assumed most of it would be discovered. He tried to balance the need to keep the Dark Lord's trust with protecting the annoying little swot who Albus Dumbledore was so fond of.

"My Lord, I would like to volunteer myself to eliminate the little mudblood."

"I am sure you do Bella, but I am not ready for that yet. I want our dossiers on everyone in the Order and Potter's friends updated. She killed Rod and tortured Antonin, nowhere in her file did it indicate she was capable of this! Rod made a mess of these records and it cost him both his brother's life and his own. I lost a good man in Rabastan, not to mention Dolohov is still twitching a bit from the hexing she gave him. Delegate the rest but you two are to personally update everything on the so-called 'Golden trio', especially the little mudblood!"

Voldemort may have found Harry Potter's Achilles heel. He didn't know how yet but he was going to find a way to use this girl.

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Severus reported back to Dumbledore. Much to Snape's dismay, Dumbledore invited Hermione to sit in. When he was questioned as to her presence he cryptically responded, "Severus you have seen her potential plus she needs to be protected."

Severus quickly pointed out he never gave open access to information for anyone else who needed to be protected but he didn't go so far as to pointing out that a little information might have gone a long way in keeping Neville Longbottom alive.

They sat in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place and the three went through all of the events that happened. Hermione was adjusting to the aftermath of the battle. Although she was having nightmares they weren't as bad as she expected. She was more disturbed about how well she was taking all of this than she was about the actual events. She felt nothing for Rudolphus or for Dolohov. She should feel something, guilt, elation….anything. She told the Headmaster and Snape what she was going through. She expected a sneer or recriminations from the dour potions professor but he seemed to understand.

Dumbledore was holding something back; both Severus and Hermione could feel it in his demeanor. He stated his concerns over Hermione being in the crosshairs of both Bellatrix and Tom, but they could feel as though he knew something was going to happen and he wasn't saying what. She was nervous. The last time he was this cryptic she ended up on a running tour of the Department of Mysteries.

He told her that she needed physical skills to match her mental ones and he set up a schedule for her to train with Severus almost every moment he was available. He also set up times from her to train with Sirius, Tonks, Mad Eye, McGonagall and Remus. She was going to be doing 12-15 hours of training a day. She wondered why there was such an interest in turning her into the Hogwarts version of Rambo. This was about more than keeping her safe. What did the old man know that he wasn't sharing?

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Later that week she was able to go visit her parents in their safe house. She was worried about how they were faring and they were terrified for their only daughter. She spent four days with them, up and through her birthday. After that it was back to Grimmauld Place for training.

Her birthday was a quiet affair. Her parents had only just found out it had been moved up four months and were a bit taken aback by their time travelling daughter. Her friends were being kept in the dark and most of the Order didn't know where her parent's safe house was. She spent the evening with her parents trying to cherish every moment. They would be moved to a new location the next day and she wouldn't know where they were being kept. She knew everything had changed and she didn't know when or if she would be seeing them again. As she hugged them goodbye she shed tears, not only for the effective loss of her parents, but also for the end of her childhood.

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He had only seen her like this once before and that did not end well. She was fixated on the little mudblood. The walls of her room were lined with photos and news articles, an entire section filled with the articles Rita Skeeter had written about the young woman. Her bed was covered in notes and documents provided by Malfoy. Despite numerous Order members and the D.A. testifying against Lucius, he once again escaped smelling like roses. Bellatrix had ordered him to pull all ministry documents on the Trio. Her bed was covered with Hermione's files, random notes and the final investigative report into the Battle of the Department of Mysteries as they were calling it. She also pulled any documents that had been left in the Granger home. She had almost gotten herself killed trying to get in but she was quicker on the draw than Rabastan and the sole casualty was an Auror named Dawlish who nobody would mourn.

The last time he had seen her so obsessed was Alice Jayne who later became Alice Longbottom. He knew that the torture wasn't about them defying him or them being blood traitors. It was about Alice marrying Frank. Bellatrix tortured them to insanity because Alice rejected her and chose him. Bellatrix was brilliant, fierce and deadly with a wand. She was worth ten of his other Death Eaters with the exception of Severus. The only problem was she was completely batshit crazy.

How on earth does one go about fixing someone like that up with a proper girlfriend? Being a Dark Lord had its draw backs, and making sure his people were happy was one of them. As a proper villain you have two choices, one be charismatic and make your minions loyal and happy or two, hire a lower class of minion. Skilled evil henchmen did not put up with irrational despots or regular abuse. Villainy was an expanding field of work and there were quite a few hopeful despots looking for good right hand men and women. He had a reputation for being cruel and unreasonable, and although he was cruel when it was deserved he was very reasonable and took care of his followers. He was a half-blood with no nose or lips and in charge of the elite pureblood society and some of the most evil wizards to ever live, damn skippy he had people skills.

Bellatrix was married off to Rodolphus because her parents knew that if they didn't marry her quickly they never would be able to pawn her off. Her obsession with Alice was well known and was getting worse with every passing month. They had already lost Andromeda to a mudblood, they didn't want to lose Bellatrix to a scandal as well. Voldemort didn't care about such things but at the time the Lestrange money was a welcome addition and he made sure Rudolphus always knew that if it came down to Bellatrix or him, Voldemort would always choose her. She never let Rudolphus touch her. Not even for an heir and she told him frequently she would rather be childless than lay with him. He kept his mistresses and so did she. She was known for her dark leanings in the bedroom and for being extraordinarily possessive.

Now that she was a widow she could take whoever she wanted as a lover. If he won no one would ever question who she bed no matter how nuts she was about it, if he lost it wouldn't matter they would all be dead. He needed to keep her focused. He decided Bellatrix needed a trip to the local brothel and he certainly needed to keep an eye on her. Finding her a permanent playmate would have to be one of his priorities. However he was going to use her obsession to solve all his problems.

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Hermione was exhausted.

"Again."

"I need a break."

"There are no breaks in battle."

She stood and readied her wand, the physical training was her weakness and she was limping from a hex she missed and her lip was split. She had been training for over a month and only stopped to eat and sleep a couple hours a night. She had been doing well with her occlumency training which Severus said was because she compartmentalized well. It was why she was able to recover emotionally from the Ministry so quickly. She had a great deal of respect for the taciturn man and after training with her he had developed a respect for her as well.

They were like personalities and the two became fast friends. She was no longer the annoying little chit that caused him grief. She was an Order member and now living a double life just like him. She was underappreciated and spent most of her life being mocked for her intelligence and commitment to learning. She understood him better than anyone but Albus and Minerva. They stuck together in the house. She defended him to Sirius and Remus every time the two remaining Marauders decide to hassle him which put her on their bad side as well. She hated the way they treated him.

He put his ass on the line every day with every breath and they were still bullying him like it was the school yard. They told her to stay out of it and that it wasn't proper for her to be involved in adult business, but last she checked she was an adult and there really wasn't an age requirement on morality. He in return protected her, keeping Sirius away from her. She knew Harry loved his godfather but the man was creepy and frequently propositioned her.

"You need to be stronger. You need to be quicker."

She knew he was right. She raised her wand to begin again. He only had one other true friend in his life and he lost her. It made him work Hermione harder and he offered her no quarter when it came to training, especially combat. She had learned about Lily through a rare successful attempt at legilimency and had seen the marauders' treatment of him in school. She saw his love for her and the confrontation. She saw him try and win her friendship back and thought it noble, although a bit stalkerish. She respected him for his love and devotion to her. She hoped one day she could love that deeply.

She spent most of her time training with Severus with whom she studied occlumency and combat techniques. Tonks and Remus also trained her in combat styles and dueling. Sirius refused as he thought she had no business 'playing war'. She was tempted to tell him to ask Rod Lestrange how well she played but things were already tense enough in the house as it was. The closer she and Severus became the more divided the house became with her and Severus on one side. Minerva favored them and when she was there the others scattered less they get on the Gryffindor head's bad side.

Minerva worked with her on apparition which she learned quickly. She would take the apparition test and get her license in the beginning of October and the Ministry wouldn't be the wiser. Without a trace the Ministry had no idea she was apparating now. She had also begun animagus training which was much harder. It took her almost a month to get to her animagus form but it was well worth the hard work.

By the end of the summer she was an excellent occlumens, an acceptable legilimens, a proficient dueler and a Naja Pallida. When Severus saw her animagus form he gave her hell about it. She was a cobra which showed her Slytherin training, but the Naja Pallida was the Red Spitting Cobra. He said she even flew her Gryffindor colors while she was taking on Slytherin traits. She actually liked her animagus even if she was surprised by it. The snake was quite beautiful. She enjoyed being in snake form and was starting to pick up a bit of parselmouth through her frequent transformations. Only Dumbledore, Snape and McGonagall knew she was a successful animagus and she spent as much time as she could sneaking throughout the house eavesdropping unseen. It was fun and she gleaned quite a bit of information.

The Weasleys showed up the last month and she had to do her training at odd hours to avoid questions. She couldn't take a chance of changing into her animagus outside of her or Severus' rooms and she wasn't getting enough training in. Harry showed up two weeks later and it was decided she would continue her training in school and break for the rest of the summer. She knew she needed to prepare the boys for her additional time with Snape.

When she told Harry and Ron that she was going to be Snape's assistant they had a meltdown. She tried to explain that she wanted to be a Potion's Mistress and it was the only way. She had expected it from Ron but not from Harry. It took Ginny yelling at them to get them to calm down and listen to her. Sometimes she forgot how hot headed and moody the pair could be.

Harry now blamed Severus for Neville's death, she didn't see how that worked but she was sure it sounded better in his head than they made their choices and they had to live with them. Neville knew the risk; he knew he was likely to face the same people that put his parents in St. Mungo's. Somehow in Harry's mind, Severus' brusque teaching manner was to blame, not the fact that six students foolishly jumped a ride on some thestrals to confront He Who is Most Creepy. Harry took it as a personal affront that she would be Snape's assistant. It didn't help that she was the one who told him not to go to the Ministry in the first place.

She no longer had the patience to deal with this nonsense but she needed to maintain the image that nothing had changed with them. She didn't see how they could keep up school rivalries and talk quidditch when the war had started and among the first casualties was their friend. How was it the only lesson they learned in the Ministry is Snape is bad. It was like the whole 'we are at war' bit just completely escaped their notice. Ginny had changed profoundly after the Ministry and the girl was both quieter and a bit darker. No one noticed but Hermione. They carried on like nothing had changed when everything was different now.

After a rough first few days the friends fell back into an easy rapport. She blocked out the war and used her newly acquired training to adapt to the boys cluelessness. When they got to be too much she escaped to her room with Ginny. The two had become close. Ginny saw Hermione as the reason they had lived through the Ministry and she knew if they had listened to her they would have never been trapped like that. Additionally Hermione was helping Ginny deal with her nightmares. She was teaching her meditation techniques and spent hours giving her a shoulder to cry on. Ginny tried to talk to her mother but Molly blanched at the darkness of Ginny's thoughts and brushed them off. Hermione didn't judge her for her anger, which wasn't just directed at the Death Eaters but also at the Order and D.A. including Harry.

A few days before they were set to return Severus woke her up around two in the morning. The two snuck down stairs and flooed to Hogwarts. Hermione didn't know what was going on but she knew it had to be serious for them to drag her here like this. As they sat down in the Headmasters office she learned the bad news, Albus Dumbledore was dying. He had been trying to destroy something called a Horcrux which was a piece of the Dark Lord's soul. He had been irrevocably cursed and would be dead by the end of the school year.

He wanted to use his death to leverage Severus into a better position with the Dark Lord. The last three weeks of the curse would be filled with unbearable pain and suffering. There was no cure and no potion would temper the torture the curse would inflict. Tom had been questioning Severus' loyalty since he had been back. Severus needed to be as close to him as possible to win this war and his information was vital to winning the war. This plan would put Severus in a position to bring down Voldemort.

There was one flaw to the plan; Severus would no longer be able to contact the Order. Albus didn't trust anyone else's emotions to let them know what was happening. Hermione was logical to the point of being icy at times. She understood it and wouldn't judge Severus for killing him. Albus hadn't trained Hermione for her protection. He had seen her handle herself against Voldemort and her stoicism while sitting with her friends in the hospital. Most importantly he saw the way she could compartmentalize. Combat could be taught easily, psychology was much harder.

Albus said he had wanted to train her eventually to be the Order's eyes and ears in the Ministry. Hermione's scores guaranteed her a job, most likely close to the Minister. She had some of the highest O.W.L. scores in Hogwarts history. He had intended for her to be a spy all along, but the mission had changed and the timetable moved up. She needed to be a handler for Severus and she needed to be ready by the end of the school year. She would be the contact between the trio and Severus. She would also have to find a way to relay that information to the Order. There was a chance they would have to go on the run and she needed to be ready. Albus didn't think Scrimageour could hold Tom back once he died. Neither did Hermione. She needed to be ready for the fate of the world to lie, in part, on her shoulders in approximately eight months' time.


	3. Chapter 3

Dark Effects

Chapter 3

Severus took Hermione as his assistant once the new school year began. It was easy enough to pull off. Albus pulled him aside 'privately', well within earshot of several nosy Slytherins and bullied him into taking the job which protected his cover. Severus threw the appropriate hissy fit and then conceded at a proper time grumbling while he stormed off. When he was called in to report he had expected anger. The Dark Lord was thrilled much to Severus' surprise and relief. He wanted Severus to try and get close to the girl to learn information about Potter. Any proper swot needed a mentor and Severus was to be that mentor.

It was a rare occasion when things went the easy way as a spy and Severus was in quiet a good mood, the Dark Lord had just ordered him to do the same job Albus did. Hermione wouldn't have to sneak about as much and he could attribute any action he took in protecting her to his need to mine information.

He needed all the luck he could get. The Dark Lord's numbers were swelling since he walked away with the prophecy and the causalities were tied at one a piece at the battle. For the majority of the public the Death Eaters were considered the winners. This was not aided by the fact that the only combatant for the light to take out any Death Eaters during the battle was a slip of a girl. The fact that she was a muggleborn created serious problems within Voldemort's ranks as the Death Eaters were chomping at the bit to teach her a lesson.

To make matters worse, some of the Order were becoming increasingly frustrated and jealous at the time being devoted to Hermione. The Daily Prophet had published a full spread on her and there was talk of her being up for a medal. Ron had taken it particularly badly which wasn't a surprise. He always wanted fame and glory and yet it always seemed to go to someone else. Mad Eye and Sirius had made their opinions very clear on the subject during the summer. They thought Hermione had no business in the Order. Both believed women had no place in this fight.

Their stance should have endeared her to Tonks but the girl avoided her like the plague as she had already dealt with enough harassment from the two. The disgruntlement had become more of a problem once Hermione and Severus became friends. Mad Eye, Remus and Sirius were making lewd accusations at the Order meetings, frequently asking exactly what kind of assistant she was. Dumbledore wasn't intervening as he needed Severus to be public enemy number one soon. Hermione was actually thrilled when school started. She was very close to hexing several Order members.

The Death Eaters were doing the same to Severus at their meetings once school started and he started taking a regular ribbing about extra credit hours with the mudblood, but unlike Dumbledore, Voldemort was putting his foot down. He didn't want anything to interfere with his plans.

The truth was Severus' bond with Hermione was familial more than anything else. She was a kindred spirit, the misunderstood brain who was more comfortable in the library than the quidditch pitch. Just like him, she was the one that no one feared and everyone should. He saw her as a little sister, the family he never had. He had become the same for her with her parents in a safe house on the other side of the world. He was her big brother and only confidante and she had become a confidante to him as well. One night after a bit too much firewhiskey the two had made a blood pact to affirm this bond. It was completely juvenile but it gave them comfort to have some family close by when it felt as if the world was against them.

Draco received his mark as a reward for Lucius' successful completion of his task. Severus failed to see how that was a reward and had a feeling Draco was getting his mark under any circumstances, but everyone who wasn't named Narcissa seemed thrilled by it. Draco strutted around like one of his father's albino peacocks for a week after the announcement much to Severus' amusement. He unfortunately had to earn his mark the next week by killing a muggle boy right around his own age and the strutting immediately stopped.

Draco was spending an enormous amount of time in Severus' office and class room. Now that school started he felt he had moved beyond his friends and found comfort in his godfather's company. His initiation had gotten around to some of the Slytherins and everyone was treating him different. He wasn't comfortable with being hailed as a hero for killing a man. It's easy to spout rhetoric and bully the first years but taking a life was a profound change. He only felt comfort when in the company of the stoic professor.

The obvious issue arose of trying to spend time training with Hermione while keeping Draco happy, but that worked itself out as well. The Dark Lord was informed of the situation that was arising. He knew Severus was a good influence for the boy so he read Draco into Severus' mission and placed him under the same orders as Severus. He was to try and get to know the girl. Dumbledore ordered Hermione to do the same once he found out what Draco's orders were. He was always the clever general seizing the opportunities the battlefield presented and this one was fantastic. He knew Hermione was far more skilled in the art of war than Draco and the tow-headed boy was outmatched.

Draco's rite of passage was public knowledge and although the two still hated each other they reached an uneasy truce based on necessity and a begrudging respect of each other. Both had taken a life at an age where they should be worried about grades and romance. Both were being patted on the back for it while they were trying to deal with the emotional consequences. As a bonus it turned out Draco wasn't much of a fan of his Uncle Rod either and was actually very happy the man was dead. From the amount of people who hated Rudolphus Lestrange, Hermione was starting to wonder why the Dark Lord or Bellatrix hadn't sent her a fruit basket.

Severus hated that Hermione and Draco were being turned into spies. Men like the Dark Lord and Dumbledore saw people as chess pieces. He didn't blame them for it, they had to it they wanted to be able to do their job well and Severus knew as soon as Hermione started training the end game was for her to be a spy. He just hated to see his friend and his godson take on that sort of responsibility. The two were still managing to maintain their friendships now but as they fell further into their roles their loyalties were be questioned by those around them. Severus knew Draco was facing the same accusations he was in the Slytherin dorms, whether he was bedding Hermione and the expected blood traitor comments.

Hermione was getting it the worst, the rumors had spread through the school like fiendfyre. She had already faced numerous rumors from the year before and her virtue was frequently questioned. She had been accused of bedding Ron, Harry, Viktor and now Draco and Severus. Harry and Ron were spending less time with her and becoming more hostile. Ginny had been rather hostile to her lately as well and Hermione knew why. The ginger girl always had a crush on Draco and she saw Hermione as betraying that. She had confided that to Hermione knowing none of her other friends would understand her pull to the Slytherin bad boy.

Hermione barely spent time in the common room as the hostility was out of control and she had taken to warding her bed before she fell asleep to protect from 'stray' hexes. Severus was ready for everything to blow up when Hermione did something to once again prove she was the brightest witch of her age, she threw all sides off guard and took control back.

It started in the library. Madam Pince had gone to the Headmaster's office leaving the library unattended. Severus had sent Draco and Hermione on a research assignment to keep up the appearance of them as his assistants (and one never turns down a chance to delegate). Ron and Harry had followed them in and started confronting Hermione about Draco in true blustery Gryffindor manner when Pansy, Blaise and the dimwitted duo of Crabbe and Goyle showed up. All of the students present gathered around and everyone was expecting a show down between the Slytherins and Gryffindors. Instead of squaring off with the Gryffindors, Pansy picked up where Harry left off.

"So you have a taste for mud now Draco? Are you trying to work your way to the top from the bottom Granger?"

Hermione was tired of this nonsense. Denying everything would just reinforce their beliefs. She knew that she had very few options to diffuse the situation, but fortunately truth lent itself to fiction in this case. She would never be able to remove herself from the microscope so she would need to change the lens. She had told the truth about Rita Skeeter's articles, she never been romantically involved with any of the boys that were in the Triwizard Tournament, of course Fleur was a different story.

She moved quickly over to Pansy backing the girl against a bookshelf before she could react and pushing her body up against the now stunned Slytherin. Pansy was frozen with shock and Hermione ended up less than an inch away from her ear when she purred, "Pansy, if I am going to shag a Slytherin it's not going to be Draco or Professor Snape, they aren't...my type. If you want to discuss my love life why don't you come see me when you're alone and I will be happy to…discuss the matter with you."

With that she shot a glare at Ron, muttered 'et tu Brutus' to Harry and stormed out of the library. Her gambit worked perfectly. The new rumors were running rampant about who Hermione might have dated and no one was focused on her time with Severus or Draco. Ginny was happy her friend hadn't betrayed her and the two made up by dinner that night. The school was too focused on Hermione's declaration to focus on why she was spending time with Draco, Harry apologized profusely to Hermione, and Pansy could only blush in Hermione's presence for a week giving everyone some well-deserved peace. Hermione added fuel to the fire by winking at the girl whenever she caught her staring.

Ron was still not speaking to her and had started discouraging others from spending time with her as well. Ginny had told him to stuff it and Harry followed suit. Of course the girls she bunked with were all rather prudish and no matter how many times Hermione assured Lavender she would never want to bed her, they were pulling their wands every time she entered the room. She had taken to sleeping in the Room of Requirement to avoid the issues in her dorm. Ginny tried to defend her to her housemates but that only brought backlash against Ginny.

Unfortunately the rest of the Weasleys, Ron included, were extremely old fashioned and saw Hermione as a dark witch. The Wizarding world was going through the same social struggles the muggle one was in many respects. Women's rights, homosexuality and sexual freedom were hot topics and just like certain muggle groups associated all three with the devil in their world, they were associated with dark magic in the wizarding one. The fact that the elite pureblood families still practiced ancient rites involving sexual magics fueled the fire associating the two. Hermione finally told her to let it be and let her handle it. Her friend was having enough problems, she didn't need to bear Hermione's cross as well.

She went to Dumbledore and he used the opportunity to assign Hermione her own quarters near Severus' thereby making her clandestine activities easier to conceal. She was currently learning reconnoiter skills and was sneaking about the castle at night on various 'missions'. She needed to learn how to meet Severus in the height of war for exchanges and avoid detection if she was on the run with Harry and Ron. Some of her missions were to get legitimate information but many were of the scavenger hunt variety, get this person's sock and the like.

The ones that were Hermione's favorite were the escort missions. She would be required to 'escort' Severus to various parts of Hogwarts without the two being seen. Severus had decided that the only way escorting him could simulate what she would be dealing with when she had Harry and Ron in tow was to blindfold himself and get blitzed. Trying to hide a blind drunk Potion's Master from Filch and Mrs. Norris was absolutely one of the most difficult and entertaining things she had ever done.

Hermione was pretty sure that this was the first time breaking and entering skills had actually been added to a boarding school curriculum. She knew that whatever plans Dumbledore had for her, they were more than her just being a contact for Severus. He needed her to be a full-fledged spy. Harry may be the Boy-Who-Lived but she was being tasked with being his keeper and making sure he ended up where he needed to be. He was only a weapon, she and Snape were the warriors making sure the final blow was struck.

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Snape and Dumbledore were proud of Hermione and her gambit with Pansy. She had completely diffused a hostile situation, covered everyone involved and deflected the attention on to other things. Little did she know she had unexpectedly passed another test and had actually just volunteered herself to go much further down the rabbit hole than expected. She knew Dumbledore had plans for her and now he was ready to spring them.

Draco started to talk a bit about his family and he had even shown Hermione his mark. She had taken an oath not to share his secret with anyone (which would be easy to keep as Severus announced it at several Order meetings). It was a strange friendship that was forming between them as the two knew that they would happily kill each other if given the chance, and not in a figurative way, yet they were becoming comfortable in each other's presence. She found the ferret offered her a calming presence and was a good study buddy unlike Ron and Harry. Ginny tried to spend time with her when she could but the girl was under fire from her family who worried about her going dark.

Dumbledore was monitoring her relationship closely and was pleased with her progress. The fact that Draco was starting to confide in someone so obviously his enemy showed her ability to put people at ease in a hostile situation and adapt to those around her and that was the final test he needed her to pass for his purposes.

Albus summoned Hermione and Severus a week before Halloween. It was time to clue her in as to his new master plan. He had originally planned for her to be a handler and in-between for Severus and eventually a spy within the Ministry, but he came up with a better plan after watching her go through training. She had exceeded all expectations he had for her. When Severus 'murdered' him, he would be completely cut off from the Order. They needed a new spy they could make contact with. Hermione had earned the job. She was dumbfounded.

"Sir, how am I going to become a spy? Draco was one thing, he was ordered to be nice to me. With all due respect how the hell am I going to get anywhere near the Death Eaters?"

"Don't worry Ms. Granger, we plan to make you a pureblood."

"Sir, how can we do that? Any way you do it, miraculously discovering I am a pureblood will be rather suspicious."

Severus interrupted, "Hermione, we aren't going to be the ones that discover it. Bellatrix will. This will work but you need to know the risks. You will be in great danger and I feel the odds are high that you won't make it more than a few months. Bellatrix has become completely obsessed with you and she is not the only one. It's one thing to sit in a room with Draco, it's another to deal with the Dark Lord and some of the most powerful and darkest wizards of our time. You have already caught the eye of numerous Death Eaters including Bellatrix, once you become 'pure' they will openly court you and challenge you. You will have to prove yourself in a hurry or you will be eaten alive. You will be spending all of your time in a completely unfamiliar world and need to be able to adapt and make friends with people who are nothing like you."

She looked at him and noticed how conflicted he seemed, "You mean like finding out you're a witch and magic is real after being raised on science? Entering a world and proving yourself when even most of your friends disparage your blood? Hiding who you are dating while being stalked by the press at every turn? Hiding that you're training to be a spy? Hmmm….sounds tough. But seriously Severus, will this help you? Will I help keep you safe? Will this help the Order? And most importantly I will I get out of babysitting Ron and Harry?"

He reached out his hand and took hers, "Yes, but it will most likely cost you everything, maybe even your life."

She nodded, "Tell me."

Severus told her the plan, "Bellatrix is going to blackmail a half-blood into pulling your muggle records. She announced it at the last meeting. She is hoping once she completes the full dossier the Dark Lord will let her have you as a pet. We are going to make sure that an adoption certificate appears with your records. They will make the leap that you are half-blooded or pure-blooded as it backs their beliefs and Voldemort would love to have you in his ranks. If you're a muggle-born you defy everything their world is based on, if you were actually one of them they could hold you out for the world to see. 'Look! See we were right, the brightest witch of her age is actually a pureblood.' Once they find the certificate, the Dark Lord will want to test your line. I am going to make you a potion that will alter your blood to match a different set of parents. It will fool the tests and any wards including the Manor's wards. Lucius had a younger sister who was pregnant when she was captured by the Order. She was wounded in an escape attempt and died in child birth. The child was stillborn. It doesn't take a huge leap to come to the conclusion the Order was responsible for your abduction. The father was Barty Crouch, Jr. so you won't have to come into contact with either of your 'parents'."

He poured her some more tea and continued, "Hermione, if you do this you will be entering a dark world and the things you will see and have to do will be horrible. Do you really think your noble Gryffindors will still be your friends once your blood changes. You saw what happened so far, you know this will end your friendships permanently. The Death Eaters aren't the only people to whom blood matters…but I think you already know that. You have seen it as a muggle and it will actually be worse once you become a Malfoy and a Crouch. The only other Order members that will know will be Kingsley and Mad Eye. They will also be the only other ones with the antidote to the potion. Minerva would stop us to protect you and the other Order members are too unreliable for an assortment of reasons. Once you start this, there will be no going back." Severus growled the last part for emphasis. He knew Dumbledore's end game and part of him didn't want Hermione to do this.

"But Ms. Granger, you will save many lives possibly including Harry's. If we fail no one will be safe including you and your parents. We have extended protection to them for now but if we fall they will be the first muggles they seek out. Are you willing to face danger to save the ones you love?" Dumbledore added. Severus flinched at his heavy handed guilt. There was more to this than what they were saying but Hermione knew he was right.

"Seriously? A bloody potion to make me pure?"

Severus smirked, "We have a potion to make bones grow and a potion to change you into a completely different person, both of which you brewed in your second year. Wizards don't have DNA testing and I am the most brilliant Potion's Master in all of Europe. Do you really think I can't mix together something to fool a blood test?"

"Fair enough, question withdrawn! I'm in."


	4. Chapter 4

Dark Effects

Chapter 4

The plan went off without a hitch. Two days after their meeting, Bellatrix received a huge pile of muggle records for Hermione. Almost all were accurate except for her now missing birth certificate which had been replaced by the forged adoption papers. They even changed her birthday to match her adjusted date due to the time turner. No one had checked when her trace was removed yet but they would now. Once they saw it was different they would presume it was because of the adoption. Unlike the muggle records, it was impossible to remove the trace on the wizard or alter the date without leaving a trail. It would act to verify the certificate and prove the lie. It wasn't until midmorning of the following day that Bellatrix found the adoption certificate. She ran across the Manor to present her findings to her Lord. He was extremely pleased with the new discovery. This would fit into his plans perfectly.

As expected Draco was ordered to get a blood sample and owl it home for testing. He 'accidently' nicked her during a potions lab and off the sample went. The night before Halloween Voldemort performed the spell and it revealed her 'true lineage', Hermione Granger was now Hermione Malfoy Crouch. Now they just had to wait until the news spread and all hell broke loose.

Hermione was training with Severus on an accelerated schedule. She was terrified but she knew that the Order needed her to do this. They would hate her but they were the good guys, when the war was over they would understand. She kept telling herself that as she trained knowing that if she failed she would go down in history as a villain.

Ginny and Harry weren't very happy with her new hours and she was exhausted trying to balance the two worlds. Ron had accepted a grudging truce which resulted in him glaring at her but not saying anything when she spent time with the Gryffindors. She wished she could tell them what she was doing but she knew that she could destroy everything in doing so.

Fortunately and unfortunately Ron started dating Lavender and shortly after Harry had started dating Ginny and she had become a proverbial fifth wheel. It meant she didn't have the same demands from them but that didn't stop Lavender from taking every opportunity to dig at Hermione. The result was whatever time she spent with them was often uncomfortable and combative. Her relationship with her friends didn't return to hostile but it was strained and distant. Hermione knew that she actually needed to pull away and this was for the best. For her to be a spy she would have to cut ties with her friends, but it didn't make the fact that they dismissed her so easily hurt any less.

Draco must have heard about her 'parents' because he suddenly became very friendly. He had been respectful up until then but now he reached out in genuine friendship. She realized to him she was a long lost cousin. The other Slytherins kept their distance but were polite, Draco was their leader and already had earned the Mark. If he was friends with the girl they knew not to start anything. Hermione wondered what Voldemort was planning to do with his newfound knowledge.

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Little did she know Voldemort was debating the same thing. It did seem a bit easy. The solution to all his problems just fell into his lap, but if the 'light' side were willing to turn their back on her he would happily add the witch to his ranks. Her blood status explained how she was so powerful and brilliant to his Death Eaters. Her parents were some of his most gifted and loyal followers. Her father was hailed as a hero among the Death Eaters for helping with the plan to bring him back and had even fooled Albus Dumbledore.

What made it so much better was she was also heir to a fortune which could help fund his war and that was what made her too good to pass up. The influx of galleons alone was enough to make him run to Hogwarts and personally extend her the invitation. Her inheritance had been frozen in litigation when there was no clear cut heir but she would be the heir now and inherit all of the Crouch holdings. Primogeniture guaranteed Lucius the Malfoy holdings except for a few small accounts so there would be no concerns about conflict there. Between the two of them he could wage war against the whole world and still have galleons to spare.

Now he needed a way to make this public so she could inherit the estate. He wasn't worried about her loyalties. Once the school and Order found out who she was related to they would do all the work for him. Slytherins certainly had not cornered the market on prejudice and Hermione's grades and actions had already fueled quite a bit of jealousy. Now he needed a way for the Ministry to discover this without it coming back to him. They would try and stop her from taking the estate either way but if there were links to him they could seize it under color of war. He needed someone above reproach to discover this but the question was who.

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Xenophilius Lovegood looked at the parchment again; he couldn't believe what it said. Hermione Granger, that little muggle girl who was always challenging his daughter, was part of the Rotfang Conspiracy. He knew she was a bad seed. She was always mocking the Quibbler and laughing about nargles and wrackspurts. She was just undermining them from the inside all along. She had brought his Luna on that foolish trip to the Ministry and Luna was nearly killed. Hermione ended up the hero and Luna spent months recovering from the night. He knew the Ministry was already compromised and the owl said that the Order was too. Adoption papers and blood test results were included with the note. He found his lead story for the next issue. She would hide no more!

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Albus had to give credit to Tom for his clever exposure of Hermione. Xenophilius was certifiable but the results of the blood test and the adoption papers were undeniable. Her trace being removed in the beginning of June was what locked it in. The Ministry administered another test but it came back positive as well. Albus had challenged for the estate through Arthur who was a remote cousin of Barty and next in line with no other heir. The Ministry had been making it difficult but now Hermione would be able to take the estate with very little challenge.

He had been afraid that the Ministry would keep it frozen with her publicized genealogy, but Tom had done it in a way that blocked the Ministry from doing anything but releasing the estate to her and once again with contacts on both sides applying pressure the process was expedited. The land holdings were almost all unplottable, highly warded and perfect for safe houses and headquarters. No one truly knew the extent of the estate but it was vast and most of it was well hidden. The knowledge of the total holdings would be released to the rightful heir but it was generally thought that the properties were in the dozens. He chose Crouch as her father to get at those houses. The Order was underfunded and they needed whatever help they can get. He knew that a summer of training doesn't necessarily turn a schoolgirl into a spy, even one as gifted as she was. Hermione Granger could be dead within a month of being inducted but he had to try and now he hedged his bets by making sure the Order would benefit either way.

She was more qualified than anyone else and whatever information she had could be helpful and he needed to take the risk but this was perfect. In the end Crouch galleons and land was the only way the Order would be able to put up a fight against the well-funded, well equipped Death Eaters. It was a calculated risk. He knew every time he made a move like this his soul darkened a little more, but someone needed to do these things. War was not lemon drops and sunshine.

In a first in Ministry history, Arthur Weasley and Lucius Malfoy had the same goal and Hermione's file was processed by the Ministry in record time. As November came to a close, Hermione officially became Hermione Malfoy Crouch, sole heir of the Crouch family. Albus planned to get the girl to sign over some of the estate during Christmas, but he knew he couldn't wait much longer. He called her into his office to have the talk.

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Hermione was furious. Every house in the school was treating her like a leper with the exception of Slytherin. Her friends were barely talking to her and for the last week all anyone talked about was her inheritance. She was pacing about Severus' office trying not to hex anything or anyone.

"Tell me you didn't know about this? Is this what it was about? Money? Severus, tell me this isn't real."

"I had a feeling that the properties and funds might have been part of the end game. Once Albus told me his plan and who your new parents were to be I had some concerns. If the Ministry falls every property owned by the Order will be under constant watch and raids. The protections on Grimmauld Place were extremely complicated and founded in dark magic and could not be performed on other properties. Even then Bellatrix and Narcissa as the proper heirs have a general idea where the property is even if they can't find its exact location. When Dumbledore dies the Secret Keeper Oath on the property might become too weak to hold. It was his blood magic that hides the property. The area around the property is being watched. The others will be as well. The Crouch properties' locations are complete unknowns except for the Castle. Plus running a war costs money and the Order funds are low. The Weasleys are paupers as is Remus; Kingsley has some money but not that kind of coin, Minerva is a teacher, Sirius' funds are frozen and I am also but a humble teacher, Tonks and Mad Eye aren't much better. Albus has been funding this for years and upon his death the Ministry will freeze what's left. Additionally they do need intelligence desperately, especially once I am gone. It's the logical choice."

"Glad to know that logic prevailed. These forms from Dumbledore, he never expected me to make it long did he. Best case they get information, worst case I fund the war." She was practically screaming at this point. "I thought you were my friend!"

"I don't think he did and if you look at his point of view, it makes sense. A win/win situation so to speak. Hermione…that is his view. If it were mine I would have never trained you. I think you will succeed and I think you will be the one who determines the course of the war but I would have never made you go through this at 17 years old. But I am a bit selfish and I want someone to spend time with that isn't a complete dunderhead! I have come to value your friendship and it won't matter where you are during this war, you won't be safe. I will be able to protect you this way I will help you through this and I promise you, however the cards may fall, I have your back."

She paused for a second and after some thought said, "OK. I am not signing over all the holdings though. I don't trust them. They say all will be forgiven but you and I could end up on the run by the end of this. We could end up with both sides coming after us. No one knows the extent of the Crouch estate which is part of why it's so valuable. There is so much money and lands I could give some to both sides telling them it's the whole amount and keep the lion's share for myself."

He smiled and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, "you are learning fast".

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Later that week she finally cornered her friends. She knew that she was supposed to be joining Team Evil and she had to deal with whatever was going to happen. She expected some disdain but she didn't expect the level of anger she received. Of course they would back away, she was a Malfoy. She just didn't expect the bile and hatred from them. She knew she should have seen it coming; Harry could be hot headed and Ron was fueling the fire.

They had been confrontational with her since this had begun. Ron was back to full blown jealous mode and made multiple snide remarks about her new found wealth and made several digs at her status as a Malfoy as well. She tried to tell them she hadn't changed but they pointed out that she had been spending most of her time with Snape and the ferret. She realized then that Albus Dumbledore had intended this to happen from the beginning. She understood why, she was smart enough to get it, but she really hated this war. She at least appreciated he had moved her to her own quarters; it would be unbearable in Gryffindor now.

She looked at Harry, "Harry, please?"

"I'm sorry Mione, your father brought back Voldemort. He is the reason Cedric is dead. Your mother was one of his biggest followers and a Malfoy, you would rather be around Snape and Malfoy than us. You made your choice and oh you are out of the D.A. as well."

Ginny had sought her out later and apologized. Hermione understood Ginny's plight. The girl had been under scrutiny from her family and friends and if she was still friends with Hermione now she might be cast out. Hermione wondered how much the social pressure lead to Ginny's relationship with Harry. She hugged the girl and told her to do what she needed to do to take care of herself.

Hermione was uninvited to Christmas at Grimmauld Place which she expected. The Order was worried about her loyalties. Things were going just the way Dumbledore and Voldemort predicted. Hermione was going to switch sides through no effort of her own. She was amazed how myopic the sides of this war were, football hooligans seemed to exercise better reason and judgment than the Order sometimes.

Draco extended the offer for her to stay with them but it would be too suspicious if she just happily switched over to the Dark Side, cookies or no. She needed to let the process happen organically. After her confrontation with Harry and Ron she made sure to 'run' into Gryffindors, especially Lavender, in public places. She knew they would harass her, further establishing that she was isolated from Team Rainbows and Kittens.

She needed to establish her procedure for meeting her handlers and get used to really living a double life so she rented a room at the Leaky Cauldron for the duration of the holiday. She did accept an invitation to the Malfoy Christmas Ball which she was to attend with Severus.

Realizing she needed something to wear, she settled into her quarters and then headed out for retail therapy. He first stop was Twillfit and Tatting's to look for dress robes, and once she was done she could swing by Flourish and Blotts and pick up some new books.

As she entered Twillfit and Tatting's she was greeted by the site of Draco, Pansy, Blaise and their parents. She instinctually reached for her wand and was ready to run for it when Draco looked up and smiled. It was going to take a while to get used to the idea these were to be her friends. She looked at the lot of them and instantly missed Harry and Ron. She took a deep breath. Being a spy isn't supposed to be fun, it was time to get to work.

They were there to get robes for the ball as well. Hermione introduced herself to the Parkinsons and Mrs. Zabini. Blaise nodded a polite hello and Pansy just blushed to her parents' confusion. It looked like that story hadn't made it back to them but from the knowing look Narcissa gave her she guessed she had heard about her earlier run in with Pansy. She spent the next hour looking at various dress robes. She was planning to head out to the book store but Lucius invited her to join them for lunch. He said he wanted to get to know his niece better. She couldn't refuse without it seeming standoffish. She went to lunch, played along and even feigned interest in her pretend mother.

Lucius treated her to forty minutes on how great of a kid sister Eris Malfoy was. She was surprised to see him tear up. It really hadn't sunk in that Death Eaters would love that strong considering their darkness but she was beginning to realize the human soul was far more complicated than that and that there was quite a bit of room for grey on both sides.

With that said, her faux mommy was named after the Greek goddess of discord and was intimate with Barty Jr., Hermione imagined she was a real humanitarian. She did understand his outrage though, who tries to escape at nine months pregnant? The story was rather flawed.

What was really surprising were the seating arrangements. She sat next to the Malfoys which was expected but Pansy took the seat to her left. Hermione might be the brightest witch of her age but when it came to romance she was plum clueless. Fleur was the only person she had dated and it had been a very brief relationship that consisted mostly of secret snogging sessions. She had only just realized that Pansy hadn't been blushing due to embarrassment. She was unsure what to do as she had never been required to 'make a move' before. Fleur was the type that would go after whatever caught her fancy. She wondered what Pansy would be like. Under any other circumstances she wouldn't consider dating her former nemesis but she was an attractive woman and of course when in Rome...

Things were going smoothly at lunch until Narcissa inquired as to whether Hermione had considered having a coming out ball. Hermione choked on her tea as her middle class roots showed themselves. It took her a second to realize she meant as a debutante. No one else at the table understood why she was laughing. Some things were just lost in translation.

She didn't realize the purebloods also had this tradition. She wondered who they were presented to since there wasn't technically a court. It turned out that the balls were common for the upper echelon of the pureblood society and ball season ran parallel to the muggle social season.

Narcissa and Blaise and Pansy's mothers looked excited to throw one for her. She knew she was supposed to allow herself to be assimilated so to speak but Hermione really didn't want to have to attend two balls over the break. She thought she would avoid the obligation citing her school work and finishing up with her parents' estate at the Ministry but Narcissa jumped in and said they could plan it for the beginning of the summer. Social season wouldn't be over yet and she could close the season with her party. Even better, at that point she would be in possession of all of the Crouch holdings and the party could be held at Crouch castle.

The castle was the center of the family's wealth and the only property commonly known. The slightly paranoid and uptight Head of Magical Law enforcement had managed to hide all of the family properties during the first war but revealed the castle after the war as he needed somewhere to host galas in his new function as Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation. He hated the balls and would just delegate all details to his underlings (Percy had even had the job at one point) but the castle was a beautiful site and it would make quite a statement to end the season there. She was stuck.

Hermione was going to have a coming out party and not a single person there would appreciate the double entendre except maybe Severus. The conversation turned to the Malfoy Christmas Ball. The table discussed who was going and the current gossip surrounding all the players. The Parkinsons and Ms. Zabini were quite shocked when she revealed that Severus was going to be her escort for the party? She assured them he was a mentor to her and their relationship was one of siblings and purely platonic. She left out the fact that they both liked women. It didn't seem the time, especially considering that Pansy's hand had found its way to her knee during the course of the meal. She had her answer as to how Pansy was, aggressive and a bit rash. She liked that. It certainly was going to be an interesting Christmas.


	5. Chapter 5

Dark Effects

Chapter 5

Severus came to the Cauldron early to pick Hermione up for the ball. The two sat and had a drink while they caught up on each other's holiday. Hermione had her first meeting with the Order handlers that morning. Kingsley was great. He was supportive and informative. Mad Eye was his polar opposite, closed mouthed and flippant. She didn't like that one of two people that were going to know her true identity was the hostile and bitter little troll of a man who didn't think girls had any place in a war. Nothing good was going to come out of that. Severus assured her that Mad Eye was a bastard to talk to but got the job done. He hated Snape but never missed a meet and always had his back. She felt a bit like he was placating her but she hoped the same held true for her.

Severus brought gossip from Grimmauld Place. Hermione's isolation from Gryffindor had left her in the dark as to all the house gossip and Hermione was surprised by all that she missed. It turned out that Harry had guessed that Draco had his mark and had been trying to prove it all year. Once Hermione's 'family' was revealed, Harry assumed she had one too and was telling everyone at headquarters that he thought she was a Death Eater all along. Sirius seemed to be backing Harry up. The mutt had forgotten how come he had avoided the dementor's kiss. Harry had even gone so far to accuse her of being responsible for Neville's death. He was now claiming that she might have tipped Voldemort to his weakness.

Severus pointed out what Hermione was thinking, she stood by him through everything including both fourth and fifth year when everyone else had turned their backs on him. The minute her blood changed they assumed the worst and cut all ties. To make it worse, it was so obvious they weren't loyal to her that both Dumbledore and Voldemort banked on it and built their plans around it. Neither side had to do much to isolate her from her friends when she thought about it, neither one had to work too hard to do the same to Harry last year either. She wasn't surprised about Ron or the rest of Gryffindor but how did Harry fall for the same tactic that had been used against him.

She realized it made it easier for him if he didn't have to feel responsible for Neville. He didn't want to examine the rashness of his actions or his lack of discipline. She remembered how easily he blamed Severus for what happened. By adding her he had assuaged his guilt completely. It didn't matter; when this was over she would tell him everything she had done to protect him. She had always assumed they would resume their friendship once they won, but now she knew she could never pick up where they left off.

Severus did hear about the coming out party and he absolutely understood the double entendre. At this point they had put down a couple of drinks a piece and the two were practically crying they were laughing so hard. She filled him in on Pansy hoping he would give some advice because she didn't know what to do. He told her she should do it for a couple of reasons. One, it would help her get closer to her targets and two, a spy's life was short and unpredictable and you needed to take what small pleasures life offered you.

They were going to war and would be in danger from being on the wrong side of everyone involved's wands except for each other and in her case Shacklebolt and Moody. He had his share of diversions including occasional trysts with Narcissa and Lucius and he suggested she find someone to spend time with. The Death Eaters were significantly more liberal in their sexual activities than Hermione's old friends were. The Slytherin students would be no different. Sex magic was some of the oldest and most powerful rites and frequently practiced among the pureblood elite.

Hermione's sexuality just made her more enticing to Voldemort's followers where it made her a pariah to her repressed Gryffindor bunk mates. He just advised her not to share any of the goings on with her Gryffindor friends or the Order members if she was ever welcomed back to the light. They had a tendency to view the revels (which were actually the wizarding world's version of a key party) and many of the fertility and earth rituals as the darkest of magics.

She was both intrigued and mortified. The thought that many of these elite families were playing musical bedmates was both hot and a bit nerve racking and then of course there was Voldemort and Pettigrew. She grimaced at the thought of bedding ratboy. Severus laughed at her and told her to relax. This was a Christmas Ball not a Bacchanal, she didn't have anything to worry about. If in the future she ended up at a revel or a rite anything would be consensual.

Once they had enough of a buzz to face the pretentious affair the two apparated to the party. Whispers broke out amongst the party goers when the two were announced. Most of the movers and shakers were there including the numerous Ministry officials and employees and Hermione's change of circumstance had been the hot topic for most of the night. She also saw several of her professors including Vector who was escorted by Marcus Flint much to Hermione's surprise. The two were greeted by Professor Sinistra who was also a regular attendee. The Malfoys welcomed them and they spent some time stuck in idle chit chat while social climbers tried to worm their way into the good graces of the newly named heiress.

A very merciful Draco soon drug Hermione off to spend time with the other Slytherins. They walked over to a room on the side of the main ballroom. The small lounge was filled with her classmates. It seemed the Hogwarts students were given their own area to socialize. The Patil twins were there with Lavender and sitting in a corner gossiping amongst themselves. When Hermione walked in the three girls started giggling hysterically. She rolled her eyes and headed over to where the Slytherins were holding court. Several Revenclaws and one or two Hufflepuffs had joined them as well. Everyone said their hellos and Pansy scooted over to make room for her on one of the couches.

Lavender looked over and saw where she was sitting. "Watch out Pansy, you know she is twisted, she might try and do something to you."

Pansy smirked and put her arm around Hermione's shoulders, "if I'm lucky Brown!"

Lavender huffed in disgust and the Slytherins laughed as Hermione relaxed into her embrace deciding to enjoy the evening. The conversations stayed light. School gossip was traded and professors were complained about. After about an hour, the students rejoined the others as dinner was being served.

Hermione found herself near the Malfoys with Severus sitting to her right. The location was perfect to check out all of the guests without drawing attention. He filled her in on who everyone was with Narcissa acting as a color commentator adding all of the juicy details. She had learned more about the Wizarding world in the last week than she had in the last five and a half years and she found she was actually enjoying herself. Severus had warned her that she was in a society that had its own set of rules and she was finding out that the interactions between the many families were extremely complicated and their actions were governed by their own code of conduct.

Even walking in to this new world an outsider she still felt more comfortable than with the Order. She may not have been rich but she was raised in an upper middle class family and she always felt as though she had to hide her background and her intelligence around the Weasleys. Here her intelligence was respected and no one begrudged her having galleons to spend. Of course it was her fake family that earned her the respect but in the end but it was nice to not feel as though she needed to dumb herself down or deny herself things she wanted to protect Ron's feelings as she and Harry frequently did. Even the twins who were brilliant in their own right made fun of her study habits and commitment to school. Meanwhile she always wondered how much more they could aid the Order if the applied themselves to something besides frivolity. How the Order did not think to use them was beyond her.

She was finally around people who saw her potential instead of just seeing a swot who needed to lighten up. It was a bit sad that she was more comfortable in this make believe world than she was in her real one. No wonder Dumbledore picked her; he knew how easily she would fit in.

The festivities were in full swing after the meal and the dance floor was full. Hermione wandered off to find a loo and found herself lost in the Manor. She was planning on snooping a bit while she got her bearings but as she turned a corner she found herself on the floor with a wand pointed at her head. She looked up and saw Bellatrix Lestrange looming over her.

"You murdered my husband."

"It was a battle, I did what I had to do and from what I heard you weren't exactly devastated by the loss."

Bellatrix snarled, "You arrogant little bitch" she straddled Hermione and put her wand to her neck, "show some respect."

Hermione settled into her captivity relaxing her body. She figured if it worked for aggressive animals it might work here. It did in a manner. Bellatrix relaxed a bit and started stroking her face with her free hand. She finally even put her wand away. Hermione had heard the witch was obsessed and she had no idea where this was leading.

"You really are a pretty little thing aren't you? I have been studying you Hermione. I know you better than anyone in this world. Your friends abandoned you and never appreciated you, I know you had the highest O.W.L. scores in decades, you hate sweets and have read every version of Hogwarts: A History you could get your hands on. I know you insist on listening to that mudblood music and consider wizarding music dreadful. I know you dated Fleur and had a crush on Angelina Johnson. You had a pet dog named Tiger which you still miss. You were bullied by the little muggles in your neighborhood and you ended up losing control of your magic several times. You even put one little boy in the hospital with third degree burns. I know that you were disliked by everyone in Hogwarts until Harry and Ron finally befriended you after the troll incident. You are brilliant and have never received the respect you desire. You are dark enough to copy the mark for your Dumbledore's Army coins and you jinxed the little girl who snitched. I know that your friends are terrified of your darkness so you hid it behind logic and books. I spent months studying every detail of your life, every victory. Every loss. Every breath."

She leaned in and kissed Hermione's cheek then pulled a knife from her cleavage and started to run it lightly down Hermione's robes. Hermione didn't know if this was foreplay or a prelude to a very tragic death.

"Oh there you are baby, I was looking for you!"

Hermione looked up and saw Pansy standing over them, hand on her wand with Severus standing behind her, Pansy looked completely unfazed by the knife in Bellatrix's hand. "Ms. Black with all due respect, it's not nice to play with someone else's toys without asking."

Hermione expected a duel in the hallway and flinched at the comment. She couldn't believe Pansy's audacity but she was impressed and rather smitten. Wait toy? That was either really hot or really annoying.

"You're the Parkinson girl aren't you? I heard you made a claim to her. Very well then, I will see you around. In the meantime do give me a call if you two ever get adventurous." With that Bellatrix stood up and sauntered down the hall.

Hermione had no idea what the heck just happened, she looked at Pansy and Severus for answers. Pansy laughed, helped her up and wrapped her arms around Hermione.

"We have rules Hermione. You can't just go molesting people at will, I made a claim and you are mine. She would need the Dark Lord's okay to either harm you or claim you against your will."

She had to learn these rules, "I am? I mean I am ...so that's it then? It's over? No more Bellatrix Black? And how did she become Black again anyways? Is there a book with these rules somewhere?"

Severus chimed in, "Slow down Hermione, in order: it's not even close to over. It would have been bad form to continue this here but Bella is obsessed with you. She is dangerous and won't stop until she either tortures you or beds you. And frankly with Bella, that is a fine line at times, and yes she is a Black again. Lestrange is dead and the Black name is more respected. Plus everyone hated Rod and finally no there is no book, these rules are learn as you go."

"Seriously? So she will keep pursuing me? And what about Pansy?"

"She can't jump you in a hall but is allowed to try and woo you Hermione. If Pansy objects then she can challenge Bella to a duel. The two of you need to steer clear of Bella for now until this is sorted out. I don't know how far she will go in her pursuit but you will have protection by Lucius and Narcissa and Voldemort. Of course with Bella the rules only go so far. Her last obsession was Neville's mother and we all know how well that ended for Frank and Alice and from what I have seen her fixation on you is far more extreme than Alice."

Bellatrix was hot but clearly a few pills short of a full medicine cabinet. Hermione did not want to end up like the Longbottoms. She was only pure blooded for a couple of months and she already had the attention of her number one rival and the attention of Voldemort's number one enforcer. She knew she had just bitten off way more than she could chew.

Severus headed back to the party and Hermione turned in Pansy's arms, "so...apparently I'm yours?"

Pansy smiled and answered her with a gentile kiss. "Any objections?"

Hermione thought about it for a minute and answered, "Not a one but let's talk about the term toy…."


	6. Chapter 6

Dark Effects

Chapter 6

Two days after the Ball, Hermione was summoned to a meet and greet with the Dark Lord and some of the inner circle. This was it, her 'interview'. She spent her time leading up to it extremely nervous and pacing about her room. She had no idea what one brought to these things, Pineapple upside-down cake? A nice bottle of Shiraz? Arsenic and a pole axe?

She was trying to stay calm but this was going to be nerve-racking under any circumstances. Severus gave her a little calming drought and warmed up her occlumency walls to get her ready. She couldn't believe she was doing this. When she agreed to spy, it was as a student spying on the Slytherins. Now looking back she realized Dumbledore always knew this would be her destination. That was why he had her sign over the property. She was the daughter of Eris Malfoy and Barty Crouch and now close friend of Severus Snape. She would be expected to join his ranks and eventually sit with his inner circle. Her reputation preceded her and her actions up to this point had put her in the situation where she would be immediately placed into service. She would be successful and join his ranks tonight or she would be a corpse by morning.

The meeting took place at Malfoy Manor and Severus once again escorted her. They arrived right around dusk and Hermione had to pause to find her center and took the time to marvel the gardens just in case they were the last flowers she saw. They were then escorted to a large hall with a long table in the center. Pettigrew was their guide and she couldn't stop thinking about doing harm to the little sycophantic toad. She left her walls down and let anyone who wanted to look get a peek at her murderous thoughts.

She figured homicidal looked good on the Future Death Eater resume and she would see who the legilimens in the room were. She was right on both counts as she earned numerous smirks from the table. It seemed occlumency and legilimency were both taught to all the Death Eaters. She wondered if Dumbledore knew that and she wondered why the hell the Order wasn't doing the same. There were two chairs open closest to the Dark Lord. Severus took the one next to Yaxley leaving her to sit next to Bellatrix. Severus winked at her as he sat and the table all had a good laugh at her expense.

He had prepped her prior to the meeting and she knew the inner circle had a locker room camaraderie when things were going well and right now things were looking very optimistic. Bellatrix's obsession with her was well known and he just added fuel to the fire. If he protected Hermione and sat next to Bellatrix it would be seen as a sign of weakness. By making her sit next to Bellatrix as a joke he reinforced that Hermione was powerful enough to take care of herself. She went along with it and blew Severus a kiss before sitting next to her own personal stalker.

"Welcome Hermione. I have, as you suggested, updated your file. Things have changed significantly since our last meeting, haven't they?"

"Yes Dark Lord. The Quibbler article on me was fascinating. I wanted thank you for your assistance in clearing up the legal matters surrounding my estate." She nodded her thanks and then did the same with Lucius.

Bellatrix hissed a bit at her acknowledgment of Voldemort and she wasn't the only one. Nagini seemed to take exception as well and moved in to a position to strike.

Voldemort laughed and motioned for them to relax their guards. "Very bold Ms. Crouch, so I am not your Lord?"

Hermione smiled, "not yet, we have only just met. It would be rather presumptuous of me and a hollow gesture. Of course I assume I will leave here with you as my master or as my murderer. Shall we get down to business?"

The entire table was stunned by her cocky manner but she knew she couldn't show weakness, plus if she wanted in quickly and to be more than a glorified gopher, she had to make a very good impression. She was shooting for the Inner Circle and she already had the resume, now she needed to show the attitude. Voldemort was once again impressed but was now concerned the girl might be too headstrong to deal with. Nagini moved in and the large serpent was inches from her face. The snake hissed to her master, "this one is impetuous, can I eat her Master?"

Hermione would make more than a few errors learning to be a spy but this one would be what saved her life. Protocol dictated to never reveal an advantage and Dumbledore told her to never reveal her animagus form under any circumstance but she had now spent almost six months in training and her parselmouth was excellent. She knew exactly what the snake had asked. The prudent thing would have been to hold her tongue but she didn't.

Her instincts and cleverness had served her well so far and she continued to follow them ignoring her training and Dumbledore's warning. She hissed back, "if you're going to strike me down use your wand Dark Lord, I have no objection to you being my master. I came here assuming that would be the case. My friends have abandoned me and my par...the Grangers are being held by the Order somewhere. I am alone and the only kindness that has been shown to me was shown by my enemies. I will happily take your mark if you ask it, but I deserve more respect than being snake food. Even to a pretty girl like her, but if she is hungry I know where we can find a nice tasty rat". With that she looked at Pettigrew who cringed and backed away under her glare.

The table was now openly gaping, they had no idea what she said but they all knew she was speaking snake. Voldemort was pleased at her response and even more thrilled to have a fellow parselmouth to talk to. Nagini was practically preening. Only the Dark Lord called her pretty, everyone else avoided her. She had also been trying to convince her Master to let her eat the rat for years. She decided she really liked the new girl.

He stayed in parseltongue, "I accept. You will take my mark and serve me on two conditions. One, I get the properties you inherited besides the Castle and I get some of the galleons as well, wars are not cheap. I don't want it all, I don't even want most; you will still be able to enjoy an extravagant life style. I am a reasonable man."

She nodded, his offer was much better than Dumbledore's who had her sign over all of it but a few accounts. Of course he had taken all of what she revealed to him but it was only a fraction of what was there. She had discussed the matter with Severus and they knew Voldemort would have a better idea of the size of the estate. They also knew that Voldemort would find out about the Order getting some eventually.

This is what Albus couldn't plan for and didn't see, that she would alter the plan to protect herself. Severus agreed and the two were going to play a very dangerous game balancing both sides. She would give most of the properties remaining to Voldemort but she was keeping six besides the Castle. She and Severus could very likely end up on the run no matter who won and they would have safe houses in Paris, Moscow, Dubai, New York, Caracas and Tokyo.

"Absolutely my Lord, tell me what you need. Some of the estate was taken by Dumbledore, but it was only a small amount. I hid most of it from him. He put protections on the properties keeping me from revealing their locations but Severus and I are trying to find a way to break the Oath he had us take. Additionally I can tell you the amount of galleons the Order received." She never promised it would be accurate.

Voldemort sighed, he wasn't pleased that Dumbledore had gotten funding as well but he expected it. The Order had worked too hard to clear the monies for them not to have profited. He would have been concerned if she hadn't admitted they took some. The girl had clearly turned on the Order and this advantage was well worth whatever galleons and land Dumbledore might have gained. He nodded his agreement.

"Two, I want to know how you're a parselmouth. It's carried in bloodlines and neither the Malfoy or Crouch lines carry the trait."

There was a time for lies and this wasn't it. She looked around at the table who hadn't understood a word that was said but had been watching the two hiss at each other. They were fascinated and a bit scared. She gave a trademark Slytherin smirk and transformed into her animagus form.

Several wizards at the table gasped and Pettigrew looked like he was about to faint. Draco looked a bit nervous too. She knew she was striking as a serpent. Her snake form was a Tanzanian Red Spitting Cobra, she was over a meter long and she was colored bright red with a black band around her neck. Even though she was much smaller than Nagini she was just as intimidating. She wasn't above preening herself and she showed off a bit. Nagini loved it and was nuzzling her. The snake had a new friend to hunt with and was extremely happy.

Bellatrix looked as though she wanted to pet her but it was hands off now that she would be joining his ranks. Voldemort switched back to English and gave his decree. She was to be inducted at the end of the week, she was told to stay the night and was given quarters inside the Manor for when she was there.

She now sat awake in those quarters with Severus sharing a bottle of Ogden's. It had worked, she had walked in, applied for the job and was hired. She became a Death Eater in roughly a month and a half. It almost seemed too easy. Of course her plan wasn't for her to be a Death Eater; it was for her to befriend the Slytherin students. She had thrown the script out and was going to have to ad-lib the rest of the play. She had to prove herself now and take a mark and that horrified her. She would have to kill someone. Maybe many people.

She realized this is why Albus had lied to her; he knew what she had to do and knew she would never agree to be a Death Eater. She was now stuck with no choice but to carry on. She wondered if it was worth it. Severus told her yes. He had saved thousands of lives in his time as a spy but he had taken dozens to do it. This was war. The test would take place in the next week before she was inducted and then she went back to school. She had no idea what to do and on top of that she couldn't leave the Manor to tell her handlers. That worm Pettigrew was fetching (and searching) her things at the Cauldron. Narcissa said she would escort Hermione to Crouch Castle during the week so she could get formally moved in there. Somehow Hermione had a feeling that Narcissa was planning to dump some of the freeloading Death Eaters on her while she was at it. Since Hermione was to be in school the Castle would be a perfect home for stray minions and the like. In the meantime she was to be their guest.

It was about one o'clock in the morning and Severus and Hermione were working their way toward an epic hangover when Draco came in.

"It's time Hermione. We are going on a raid. Both of you are to come." He took her drink from her hand and downed it in a swallow. Draco still was nowhere near used to this.

She followed the two men down several sets of stairs. They walked out to the back gardens and a veritable who's who of creepiness was gearing up to go. They were outfitted in standard Death Eater garb, ridiculous hoods and theater masks. She honestly wondered if they did their uniform shopping in Soho. She wasn't sure if they were on a raid or going cruising. With a flick of his wand Severus changed her robes and made her a hood.

Bellatrix walked by ran her hand down her cheek and whispered in her ear, "If you do well you earn a mask and your mark, if not you become my play thing before you die."

Hermione swallowed hard. This was it. Instead of pass/fail this class was going to be pass/dead. To make things worse they were going by broom. She really hated flying.

They landed outside St. Mungo's and Lucius walked up to her, "We had an asset...compromised a few years back." He looked to Severus, "we have reliable information he is now a danger to us. Not every mission is about flash. You are the brightest witch of your age, let's see it. Go inside and kill them unseen."

She looked to Severus. He knew! He picked her target. What was going on? Did he get her drunk knowing she would have to kill someone that night? Who did he pick? She really hoped it wasn't the Longbottoms.

Lucius handed her a picture of Gilderoy Lockhart. "I think you remember him, but only because of Weasley's malfunctioning wand if the story is correct. He has started to regain his memories and is now revealing secrets he shouldn't since he can't remember why they are secrets. He is also starting to remember faces and names. We want as little attention as possible; an investigation would be unfortunate for us."

Severus had done well. Everyone had a vanity and a fear. Hermione's vanity was her cerebral prowess and her greatest fear was to fail intellectually. Lockhart had almost turned her into a blubbering fool by trying to use Ron's wand on them, if the spell hadn't backfired she would be sitting in St. Mungo's in his stead.

"Bloody Gilderoy was a Death Eater?"

Everyone laughed and Lucius answered, "No Hermione, competence is a prerequisite...well except for Pettigrew". This garnered another round of laughter, "he served as a publicist to us putting ideas we wanted out there in his bestselling books. He also was a regular donor to the cause and hosted events. He was a fame whore and wanted to be with the rich and powerful and there is no one that fits that bill better than us. Come back when he's dead or don't come back at all niece. Happy hunting."

She looked at the hospital for a second and then took back off on her broom much to everyone's surprise. They were going to pursue until they realized she was just circling the building. She found what she was looking for near the employee entrance. A mediwitch was walking out for the night and Hermione snuck up behind her, hit her with a stunner and pulled her body into a nearby bush. She transfigured her clothes to match the witch's uniform, took her I.D. Cards, and cast a notice-me-not so she would blend in.

She entered through the employee entrance using the I.D. to get past the wards. She knew where Lockhart was kept from her prior visits and she grabbed a potion cart and headed towards his wing as if she was making rounds. The healers and other staff just ignored her. When she reached Gilderoy's room she pulled his chart from the door. It was quite thorough.

She finally found something she could use. Gilderoy was allergic to Peppermint. She now had a plan, Harry had been using Snape's old potions book in class this semester (unbeknownst to him, Severus had finally let her know the secret behind the boy besting her this year). He had impressed Slughorn by using peppermint in his Euphoria Elixer which eliminated the side effects. Slughorn had practically sung his praises from the Astronomy Tower after that lesson.

She went through the cart and found a Euphoria Elixer. She went down the hall poking her head in patient rooms. It was so late they were all a sleep. She found what she was looking for in two of the rooms. In one there was a small jug with a bow on it. When she pulled the cap off it smelled like home brew mead. She dumped the contents in the sink and cast a quick silencing charm and washed the bottle out. A couple of doors down she found some candy canes sent as a Christmas gift She took the candy cane in the hall, cast another silencing charm and hit it with a small reducto. The candy was now powdered. She mixed the elixir and the powdered candy into the jug. She was so focused on success she had completely lost sight of the morality and end results of her actions. It had become an assignment to her and she always got top marks.

She brought the jug into Gilderoy's room and was suddenly hit with reality. She was going to murder a man and she was acting like it was a school lesson. She sat down in the chair near his bed. She knew the next rounds would be in 35 minutes and she needed to be out by then but she couldn't bring herself to do this. It didn't matter how much good it would do, it was still murder. On top of that she was essentially framing Harry for it if they investigated. She knew nothing would come out of it but she was pinning it on him and would gain points for style with the Dark Lord. What the hell was she thinking?

She started getting up to leave when Lockhart woke up.

"Hello, you must be one of my fans". He gave her his Witch Weekly award winning grin.

"No, I was your student at Hogwarts do you remember me?"

He looked at her for a while, "Did I bed you? If I did the child's not mine. Oh wait you're a mudblood aren't you. I remember you were an irritating little thing who didn't know her place. Always correcting me in my lessons. I see you have come to make up for all the trouble you gave me. What's that there? Is that for me?"

Now she had to make the choice. She hated this man, he was an incompetent wizard who got by on his looks and as she now discovered, his blood status. She was at a crossroads. The professor had obviously regained enough of his memory to mention she was there. She could go to Azkaban and lose the advantage she had just earned for the Order which would also most likely cost Snape his life or she could cross this line.

"Yes professor I brought you a gift. I think you'll love it, it's an elixir."

He took the jug popped the cork off and gave it a swig, "Mmmmmm, minty! That's important somehow but I don't know why. Oh well, bottoms up!"

He drank quite a bit of the jug as he also didn't remember the side effects of Euphoria Elixer. One was extreme thirst. She sat there and watched as he happily talked about how great he was. When the seizures hit she knew she had to sit through it. Voldemort would want the memory and she couldn't show emotion. This is why Dumbledore had originally recruited her, why he wanted her before he came up with the idea to get the money. She could compartmentalize. She could operate on pure logic. Like him and like Severus, she could do the awful things that needed to be done.

She locked herself down and stoically watched the man die. She would break down once it was safe to. She cast cleansing spells around the room as Gilderoy gasped his last breath and then she walked out of the room pushing the cart back to the entrance. Once she was safe she ditched the cart and walked out the doors unseen, she obliviated the mediwitch after returning all her items. In the morning they would find Gilderoy dead from an allergy. If it was investigated it would lead back to Harry and Voldemort would be off the hook. She had done it; she had killed a man for 'the greater good'.

She held her head up high as she reached the others. She told them what she had done. Severus and Lucius nodded their approval and she could tell the others were impressed.

Bellatrix pressed against her back and wrapped an arm against her waist, "well done beautiful girl, I really didn't think you would do it."

She was emotionally raw and it felt good having the witch wrapped around her but she knew she had to keep control and stop it.

"Bella you really need to change your expectations for me, after all I am the one who made you a widow."

The dark witch laughed and released her, "touché, you really are my little dark angel aren't you".


	7. Chapter 7

Dark Effects

Chapter 7

She returned to the Manor close to dawn and passed out cold. She woke up midmorning hung-over and promptly started bawling her eyes out. The realization that she just committed cold blooded murder finally sunk in. She had become a monster all in the name of good. Pansy came into her room a few minutes later carrying a tray with hangover potion and a proper English breakfast. The last thing she wanted to do was eat and as soon as she smelled the rashers she ran to the bathroom and emptied the contents of her stomach. After she washed her mouth out and brushed her teeth she came back in.

"Draco didn't tell me why but he said you would need me here. I sat with him when he went through this. No, he didn't tell me anything but he didn't have to. This is a war, we all know what it means. What will be expected of us. Come here and eat something."

With that Pansy sat her down and rubbed her back while she ate a little food and took the potion. She lay back down and curled into her former rival's arms. Pansy just held her while she cried and the two fell asleep for the rest of the morning. When she woke up she burrowed into Pansy's neck and held the girl tight. She never thought she would find softness from a Slytherin. She certainly never expected to be treated so lovingly.

They spent the afternoon cuddling and kissing as Pansy tried to heal Hermione's darkened heart. Draco, Severus, Narcissa and Lucius came in for tea and set up on a table on her balcony. They had all been through this except for Pansy and she knew it was coming. Even though Narcissa had not taken the Mark she had to show her loyalty just like anyone else. The tea was a quiet affair but the support was felt. She was never offered this sort of comfort by the Order, not even Molly, not even after the Department of Mysteries. Albus Dumbledore had instructed her to find comfort in her friends but now she realized none was truly offered until now.

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The next day Hermione went with Narcissa to Crouch Castle. She was terrified that the mammoth structure would reject her. So far her blood had passed the tests on it and she was even recognized by Malfoy Manor. She kept telling herself the effects wouldn't wear off or disappear without the antidote lest she lose her confidence. She cut her hand and applied it to the ward on the scrolled gate at the entrance. Her blood worked again and the gates opened for her. As she walked into the enormous foyer a small army of house elves appeared before her and bowed. How far she had come from SPEW! She greeted the elves and gave them their marching orders. The house was already spotless so all they needed to do was prepare quarters for her and stock the supplies for the guests she was planning to invite. She knew the best way to keep tabs on the Dark Lord was to make sure she was around. She was going to offer use of the Castle to him.

The day was spent preparing the house, assigning quarters and managing all the neglected matters that now fell upon her. The head elf's name was Namdi. She reviewed the house matters with him and commended him for a job well done. The elf was practically glowing by the time they were done. Flattery will get you everywhere especially with the overlooked and unappreciated house elves. Hermione took the master suite and made sure that her wing would be kept empty. The wing had a small library and its own kitchen and was relatively self-contained.

The Dark Lord was given the Imperial Suite, which was used to house Ministers and Kings, and all of the surrounding wings and rooms including a several ballrooms, offices, kitchens, a huge library, a set of dungeons and large receiving room that was to be made a throne room. She set out another wing for the young recruits that would be housed and trained there.

Her ploy was flawless and would reap instant rewards. Narcissa and Lucius were subject to way too many raids as it was and moving headquarters to the Castle would protect the troops. Not even Rufus Scrimgeour would raid the Castle as entirely too many dignitaries had stayed there and doing so would destroy twenty years of foreign relations work and cause political ripples through numerous countries. Hermione would be in the center of the Dark Side giving her a chance to pick up the most intel and lock in a position with the Inner Circle. Voldemort would have secured headquarters plus all of his properties so she was giving him more than he asked for. Between her handling of Lockhart and this she knew that her new 'Master' would be pleased.

She thanked Narcissa for her help and set the wards and instructed the elves so the Malfoys could have free entry to the castle. She had earned a friend in Narcissa by getting Voldemort and the Death Eaters out of her hair which would endear her to her 'Uncle' Lucius even more. The older witch hugged her as they left for the evening and Hermione realized it was going to take a while to get used to this level of affection. Only Molly had been affectionate with her and it wasn't at the same level as with Harry. She was tentatively accepted there but she had been instantly embraced by the Malfoys. She would have thought this side would be icier and more standoffish and found that it was quite the opposite.

After Narcissa and Lucius left she sent an owl to Pansy and about twenty minutes later she received a reply confirmation. She called Namdi and asked him to set up dinner for two. She should have been a bit more specific. When she went to see his work she found a table set up in the master suite, candles were lit everywhere and mood music was playing. She went into her bedroom and checked her bed, silk sheets. She turned to the elf ready to chide him for 'pimping out' her date but his ears were twitching as he hoped he impressed his new mistress. She replied the only way she could under the circumstances, "what no Barry White?" The elf looked confused. She laughed and gave her thanks, "good job Namdi you have served your line well." The elf hugged her leg in glee and popped out to report to the other elves.

She had found out from one of the other elves why all of the house elves were terrified of her. They knew she was involved with Winky getting clothed and her SPEW exploits had followed her here except they thought she was punishing the Hogwarts elves. She wanted them to feel comfortable around her but she couldn't appear soft. If she couldn't free them she at least wanted them to be happy. She had learned a bit of elf lore and she knew enough to hopefully keep her unfortunate captives happy and unafraid while still appearing in control and not drawing attention to herself.

Pansy showed up about a half an hour later. She looked a bit nervous when she saw the room until Hermione explained it was the result of an overzealous house elf. Neither girl was ready to go that far yet they had only just begun the relationship. The two women ate dinner and then sat together and watched the stars. They lay on the settee and talked well into the evening when Hermione finally asked the question that had been haunting her the last few days, "baby...". Hermione looked at her forearm and didn't need to ask more.

Pansy wrapped her hand around her forearm, "Hermione, I am yours, even when you become his."

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Hermione's induction ceremony was Friday night before school started. Severus and Draco stood with her while she took her Mark. Hermione passed out from the pain but came to quickly further impressing her new comrades. The ceremony was more of a party than a formal affair and once the marking was over they were joined by the other guests including spouses and children who weren't marked. Pansy came and latched on to Hermione's arm shooting Bellatrix a taunting look. Bellatrix just winked and blew them a kiss. Pansy wasn't one to share but apparently the offer was still open if she changed her mind. Bella certainly wasn't going away quietly.

The evening was enjoyable which was a bit disturbing to Hermione. She had graduated to accomplished killer and they were having a party. There never was an investigation of Gilderoy's demise. It was ruled an accident by the Ministry and St. Mungo's but Voldemort viewed her memories and was impressed she was ready to frame Harry. He also liked that she watched Lockhart die. She was seen as an up and comer and was being shown a great deal of respect by the guests.

Severus told her to tell the truth to her handlers but leave out the peppermint part. They would not appreciate her casting doubt on Harry. She met with both of them at one of the new additions to the Order properties. She expected the two would be upset but they told her she did the right thing, that Lockhart wasn't a loss and that just knowing who was at her induction would save lives. By doing what she did she had the ability to move headquarters to the Crouch property. Gilderoy's life was worth it.

She was surprised but had realized that this was war. Their casual attitudes about her assassination made her wonder what exactly occurred to those in Order custody and exactly what kind of escape her faux mother actually had attempted. She knew that she needed to make sure she never ended up on the wrong side of the Order and she needed to protect herself. She also told them that she believed the Death Eaters were teaching all of their follower's legilimency and occlumency and filled them in on the festivities after the ceremony.

They were angry about her burgeoning relationship with Pansy and warned her not to become involved with the enemy. She ignored their warnings and maybe because of them she decided not to reveal her animagus to them or let them know that she had shown the Inner Circle. McGonagall and Dumbledore both knew her form but she had hidden it from the others while she was in Grimmauld Place. Part of the fun of being a snake was listening in on everyone's conversation when they thought she wasn't around. Dumbledore had warned her not to reveal it to anyone so she was technically following orders. She didn't know why but she thought that she needed to keep that one from the Mad Eye.

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When school resumed Hermione no longer bothered to try and balance the old world and new. Dumbledore conceded to letting her switch houses (secretly pleased at her success, she had exceeded his wildest expectations). She became a Slytherin and as she looked at the mirror and straightened her tie she realized two things, the assimilation was complete and she looked damn good in green.

Dumbledore was a man who too many people underestimated. He had turned a muggle born witch into the pureblood poster girl in under six months. He had planted a spy in Voldemort's ranks and never had to worry about her turning, Severus, Mad Eye and Kingsley had the potion to counter the original one Severus administered. They could always expose her and she would always need to protect her parents and her friends. He created the perfect spy and additionally the Order meted a profit. The man was good.

She thought she had dealt with backlash from the students when her blood status was announced but she was unprepared for the open hostility that was now sent her way. She saw the Slytherin side of the coin now. It didn't make them better people, but they were under fire from day one. Just like most bullies at least some of who they were was reactive. Many of her professors were harder on her now. She saw where her professors leaned and found that McGonagall and Flitwick no longer awarded her points whereas she was still Vector's favorite regardless of house. Severus no longer had to hide his favoritism. She became his apprentice instead of just an assistant. If she stayed with him she would be a full-fledged Potions Mistress in four years. She was still training constantly and improving her combat skills.

Her relationship with Pansy had become public knowledge thanks to Lavender and the two spent most of their free time together. Hermione found herself starting to fall for the girl and wondered if Pansy would still feel the same about her if she knew her name really was Granger. She couldn't stop herself from wanting Pansy even if the relationship was built on a lie.

Ironically she was the closest to being herself now that she had become someone else. She was respected for her intelligence and was no longer subjected to ridicule by her friends for her study habits, she was openly dating a Pansy which she could never have done in Gryffindor and she was apprenticing with Severus. Hermione received an owl from Mad Eye warning her again to cut ties with Pansy and not let her heart take over her job but she ignored the sour man. She was happier then she had ever been and part of her never wanted to go back. This thought became stronger every day and made her feel guilty.

Hermione started receiving regular owls from Bellatrix. She sent gifts to her and notes. They were always delivered during meals so the school would see the owls. It was her way of taunting Pansy. Hermione had come to accept Bella's lunacy and was happy the dangerous witch was trying to seduce her instead of kill her but she hated how they affected Pansy. She received roses (always black), perfume and several books she had wanted to read. Pansy was angry at Bellatrix but there was nothing she could do. Bellatrix couldn't attack Hermione or Pansy but according to their rules she could try and woo her. Pansy was within her rights to challenge her to a duel but it was Bellatrix Black and Pansy was good with a wand but not that good. Hermione ignored the most of the gifts but did read the books in secret. As the perpetual odd girl out she had to admit she was a bit flattered to have the two witches competing for her attention.

Ginny would occasionally sneak out to spend time Hermione. The Slytherins knew but it was hidden from everyone else. The great thing about Slytherin was the dorm was air tight when it came to secrets. Ginny could visit Hermione there and no one would bother her or tell anyone outside of the house. She would borrow the Maurader's Map from Harry making her deception easier and untraceable. They often met in the Slytherin common room since nobody would look for her there. Ginny was still being scrutinized by her family and the Order, her relationship with Harry was rocky and her mother was worried she was a dark witch due to her friendship with Hermione and her anger about the Department of Mysteries. If they found out how easily she got on with the Slytherins she would be under serious fire from friends and family or even disowned. Hermione hated the lines this world drew and the war was making them much worse.

The toll of being someone she wasn't was a hard cross to bear but she had Severus. He had lived this way for most of his life. Hated by most of the Order and maligned at Hogwarts, his only companions and friends were the people he spied upon. It's a hard life when the whole world seems to be your enemy. She had dinner with him three to four nights a week. Albus frequently joined them. He would take a back way into Severus' den so he wouldn't be seen. She had gotten close to the Headmaster which surprised her. She knew he was a bit of a Machiavellian bastard but she had developed a great deal of affection for him. She was going to miss him when he was gone and she had no idea how Severus was going to do what he needed to. Albus was like a father to him in a very dysfunctional way.

She finally understood why he cared so much for the man who had left both of them in such a lurch. Dumbledore did what was required of him, just like they did what was required of them. She killed to save lives and he was no different. He didn't have the luxury not to. He knew from the day Voldemort came back that he would most likely meet his death in this war and he knew he was most likely sending them and dozens of others to theirs but it had to be done to win this war. He did what he could to aid them while still making the uncomfortable decisions that helped change the tide. This spying and sneaking about, this was how wars were won. Albus was a bit dark in his own right and that's what made him so good.

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As spring rolled around Albus was really starting to feel the effects of the curse and the pain was becoming unbearable. They had maybe one or two months left. Draco had been tasked with creating a way in for the squad sent to help kill Dumbledore. His plan had been good but at the rate he was going they were never going to be able to come. Hermione and Severus had taken upon themselves to fix the vanishing cabinet in Hogwarts so his plan would work. They did a little each night so Draco thought he was responsible for the improvements. With Albus getting sicker each and every day and his time had come to an end.

Albus had one last dinner with Severus and Hermione. He told Hermione that Kingsley and Alaister would protect her. She almost voiced her concerns about Moody but held her tongue. The man was having his last meal and she did not want to trouble him more than he already was. Dumbledore arranged for her to do the yearly library inventory with Minerva, Irma and Filius so she would be alibied during the battle. Draco would be in detention with Filch assigned by Snape so he was alibied as well. Draco had an established relationship with Hermione and Severus and was considered an important asset in the future war. They even had orders to turn him to the light if it was possible.

Dumbledore filled them in on what was going to happen that night, what information he had on the location of the other Horcruxes and the importance of the sword of Gryffindor. At the end of dinner Hermione hugged the wizard goodbye. He was a manipulative son if a bitch but he turned the nerd into a warrior and sacrificed his life and maybe his soul to save them all.

The next day he set out with Harry to retrieve the Horcrux from the cave. Upon their return a battle ensued and Severus hit his mentor with the killing curse ensuring his place as one of Voldemort's most trusted advisors. Hermione ran out of the library with Professor Flitwick after the battle was over and heard the news. Albus Dumbledore was dead, Snape was his murder. Nothing was going to be the same again.


	8. Chapter 8

Dark Effects

Chapter 8

Hermione and Draco were scrutinized by the Ministry, the school staff and the students. A full inquisition took place but they both had rock solid alibis. No one did sort out how the rest of the Death Eaters got in; they just seemed to appear out of nowhere. All of the floos, entrances (including the secret ones) and classrooms were checked. It was presumed that they breached the wards and apparated in.

No one thought about the Room of Requirement which meant that Hogwarts still had a major breach point. The Death Eaters thought they had won another one with that but Hermione and Snape had covered up the cabinet from the Order. The other vanishing cabinet was being moved to the Castle which meant it would be in Hermione's control. She could transport Order troops to Hogwarts when the time came.

After Hermione finished up her questioning at the Ministry she detoured to meet Mad Eye and Kingsley before she headed back to school. They were both devastated and furious and their emotions ruled the meeting. Kingsley had tears in his eyes and all they kept saying was Severus was her friend, how could she know nothing? They interrogated Hermione for hours, even administering Veritaserum to her and questioned everything that she had done. It would have worked except that since they didn't trust Severus' potions they used a supply that Albus had brewed rather recently claiming there was a shortage. Even dead, the man played people like a fiddle and the potion was useless. After hours of going back and forth Kingsley left the room for a bit to grab lunch for everyone.

As soon as he left Mad Eye hit Hermione with a stunner and began to torture her hitting her with the Cruciatus curse to question her. He was convinced she was responsible because of her friendship with Snape and he was going to prove it. It might have been quicker and less brutal but she aggravated the assault by asking him if he was queer for Dumbledore (She knew Albus was gay and she knew it bothered the stuffy, conservative and possibly closeted Moody). He really laid into her with the unforgivable after that little dig but fortunately after 20 minutes Kingsley returned and stopped him. After being hit repeatedly with the curse Hermione was covered in sweat, crying and had thrown up twice. All she could do was curl into the fetal position and weep as tremors racked her body. She now understood how the Longbottoms lost their minds and she felt pretty close herself.

Kingsley apologized to Hermione saying that Mad Eye just lost his temper but now at least they knew she wasn't in on it with Snape. Mad Eye didn't seem all that convinced and Hermione was well past caring for their reasons. She knew what she needed to do and let her training take over. She nodded and said she understood and indicated all was forgiven. She reported a little information on the Death Eater comings and goings and left as soon as they would let her. She might not have been as concerned if she hadn't noticed that Kingsley didn't have lunch with him when he came back. She was scared, Moody was convinced she was involved and had it out for her. They didn't have to kill her; all they would have to do is expose her and only Kingsley was standing in his way.

When she got back to Hogwarts she stumbled her way up to the school. Fortunately Pansy, Blaise and Draco were enjoying the weather and were relaxing under a tree out front. They ran up to her and helped her walk the rest of the way to the infirmary. She tried to object but she was too damaged to say much. As they half carried her inside she looked up to the Astronomy Tower and saw McGonagall watching her. The professor's expression remained stony but there was a glint of recognition in her eyes. Madam Pomfrey cleaned her up and gave her some pain potions and a calming drought. Pansy and company were kicked out of the infirmary as she rested on the cot letting the potions do their job.

As she was fading out she heard Pomfrey in her office yelling to someone, "what do you mean erase the records? The girl was tortured for Merlin's sake!" After that Hermione fell asleep and never heard the rest of the conversation.

She assumed that the matter was erased as no one ever inquired as to how she ended up in such a state. School was wrapping up soon and she was going to spend the summer in 'her' Castle. She knew Severus was there and she would happy to be able to talk to him. Things were not going like they should. Moody was completely cracked and her one safety valve bailed knowing what her fate would be. She knew if they decided to expose her to take revenge she would be dead and Severus would follow shortly after. The only thing holding them back was that her information was vital to Order survival.

The letters from Bellatrix were now an everyday event. Some of them were conversational but most contained poems and declarations of love. Bellatrix claimed she was the only one for Hermione and that they were fated to be together. With Severus gone she had no one to talk to about Bellatrix. She should be terrified by the witch's proclamations but the enforcer no longer had the ability to scare her. Pansy was furious about the letters and was ready to challenge Bella during the summer but Hermione calmed her down before she did something rash and got herself killed for the effort. She found it fascinating that the two witches were both claiming it was true love but they were in love with a fake Hermione. She never forgot that it was a small vial of potion that started this competition.

The school collectively avoided her with the exception of the Slytherins and she was always under their guard. The house stayed together as a whole to protect her, Pansy and Draco from attacks by vengeful students. The Carrow twins, Flora and Hestia, took on Zacharias Smith and Michael Corner when they tried to blindside Pansy and hexed both the boys into the infirmary. It wasn't the only incident to arise. A brawl nearly broke out one day when Ron confronted Hermione in the Great Hall.

He stood in front of her table, backed up by Zacharias, Michael, Ernie, Seamus and Dean and berated her for a good ten minutes. She motioned for her 'friends' to stay seated and never said a word while the irate boy screamed rude epitaphs only inches from her face. None of the professors intervened in the matter until McGonagall entered the hall and backed Ron off. The professors were either too concerned with being considered sympathizers or figured she deserved whatever she got.

Minerva brought her up to her office and politely asked her not to attend Dumbledore's funeral. She also suggested she consider taken her N.E.W.T.'s early as she didn't imagine that Hermione would fare any better with the students in the following year. It looked as if she wanted to say more but she held her tongue and dismissed her instead. Hermione took the hint and watched the funeral from afar sitting up the quidditch stands. She saw Harry and Ron up on the tower after the service talking angrily. She knew they were discussing the Horcruxes. Harry would go after them now and Ron would follow. The Ministry wouldn't last much longer despite Scrimageour or maybe because of him.

They needed to go on the run soon. A few months back she had created a backpack with an undetectable extension charm which she packed with things they would need. She gave it to Kingsley and after he thoroughly examined it he promised he would pass it on to the boys. She hoped he did and she hoped they were prepared. She knew that she would never resume her friendship with them but she still needed them to succeed. Her life and her parents' lives were on the line.

As she sat on the bench watching the two she felt a body come up behind her. Pansy wrapped around her and Hermione leaned back into her embrace. Her girlfriend seeing her here stalking them made things harder. She adored Pansy but she had no intention of testing the girl's loyalties. She wrote a quick note to Voldemort telling him the two were up to something but she didn't know what. Now she was covered if Pansy ever mentioned anything. She hated having to act this way with her. The more time passed the more she liked Pansy. She found a comfort and solace in her arms she had nowhere else. She curled further into her girlfriends embrace and softly kissed her. She had no idea how everything would end up once she was exposed but she was going to enjoy the now.

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Minerva was made Headmistress in the interim while a decision was made as to who Albus' replacement would be. Harry was back at the Dursley's for one last summer. He would turn 17 on July 31 and the protection on the house would end. The Dark Lord was making plans already. He was also trying to find a solution to his wand problem. He was convinced that his and Potter's wands were conflicting.

Hermione knew the truth was that Harry was his Horcrux. She put in as much time doing research to bolster his wand theory as much she could. She had found an old children's tale about a super wand and had sent him looking for this mythical wand made by Death himself figuring he was on a wild goose chase and buying Harry some time. Little did she know the wand was real and on Hogwarts' grounds, once again Dumbledore's secret keeping could set the light back.

Once school ended Hermione returned 'home'. Ollivander had confirmed the existence of the Elder wand but didn't know anything more. Her research had earned her a spot into the Inner Circle. It seemed even when she tried to fail she succeeded. Since taking her place as an advisor she was involved with some strategizing and planning but hadn't been sent on missions yet. She continued her training with Severus and she was now was also learning what information to impart to Kingsley and how to do so. After the incident with Mad Eye, Severus and Hermione had come to the conclusion that while the two may not expose her, they would certainly use all of the information even if it meant Hermione's exposure.

Mad Eye had already made it clear he held her responsible for the death of Albus and wanted her in Azkaban or dead. Kingsley had stopped Mad Eye from interfering with her but Moody was hell bent on getting her only restrained by Kingsley who was more concerned with winning the war than meting out revenge. She was meeting with Kinsley alone now and giving him tips when she could. Even with censuring information to protect herself, she had saved several numerous families including Andromeda and Ted Tonks.

Overall she still felt as if she was doing good but she was learning that war had a way of peeling away at morals on both sides. She was upset that when she had provided a tip about the Creevey family to the Order and they had not reacted. The two boys were slaughtered along with their entire family. When she asked about them she was told they weren't a viable asset and the risk was too high. Colin and Dennis were too young to fight and would have to go into hiding further straining Order resources and their parents were muggles and couldn't join the fight. They were useless to the war and therefore collateral damage.

The logic was sound and maybe from Albus she would have understood it, but this time she felt like there was more to it. The more Hermione thought about it she realized that even 'the light' was pretty biased when it came to muggleborns. Ted Tonks wasn't allowed in the Order even married to Andromeda Tonks nee Black. Their daughter was inducted but spent a lot of time under fire from the members. She always assumed it was because she was a girl. If this war was about muggleborns why weren't any part of it? There had never been a muggleborn in the Order before her. She found it hard to believe that she was the only muggleborn in history to want to fight for her rights.

Why weren't there many muggles in the Ministry or even as friends of the Order? She thought about Arthur's frequently condescending questions and the fact that Ron couldn't figure out how to use a telephone. How much of a jackass are you that you can't be bothered to learn the concept put up to ear and talk? She knew the Death Eaters were worse and she had to keep reminding herself of that and how she really was fighting for the greater good as all the pretty shine came off of her friends and the Order. Life was not black and white but just because some of the Order may be villains didn't make Voldemort a hero.

The Castle was bustling with activity when she returned. The Dark Lord was in residence with about 50 Death Eaters and a variety of other minions. Fortunately she had her wing to herself and when Pansy visited she came and went through the floo in Hermione's private library to avoid the evil henchmen (and the ghastly Peter Pettigrew who perved out when she was around). Hermione was spending a great deal of free time with Pansy now and there was quite a bit of gossip about where their relationship was going. There were even questions as to whether they would eventually do a bonding ceremony.

Although the Ministry had no formal wedding ceremony for two witches (or for two wizards for that matter) there were ancient rites that would act in lieu of a traditional marriage. The two weren't close to being there yet. It was the first real relationship either had been in and they were taking things slowly and she also had to face the issue that her blood mattered to Pansy which bothered her to no end. Pansy had become an essential part of her life over the past few months and she had even befriended Nagini, which was no easy task.

The snake was happy Hermione was home and often kept her company when the Dark Lord was tied up on business. The Dark Lord allowed it which further improved Hermione's rank and earned Hermione the respect of many of the Death Eaters, especially the young ones. When they were all stuck in meetings, Nagini would frequently go spend time with Pansy if she was around keeping Peter away. Even though they couldn't communicate, the witch would dote on her which made the oft ignored serpent happy.

Her coming out ball was set for her birthday and was being thrown at the Castle by Narcissa who had made the residence a second home during the planning. Hermione had never had a real party given for her and she was apprehensive but a bit excited. The only problem she faced is that every time someone mentioned the 'coming out' party she and Severus were beset by the church giggles. The wizarding world was going to have a ball and announce her 'coming out'. It was absolutely priceless.

Narcissa took her dress shopping a few days before the party and Hermione found a stunning red gown with beautiful black lace accents. The gown was simple but cut well and accentuated all the right places. The minute she stepped out of the dressing room Narcissa took one look and told the sales witch to wrap it. The two spent the afternoon picking out shoes and jewelry to match the dress and potions to help tame her hair. There was a moment while picking out necklaces that Hermione realized how much she missed her mother.

She forgot what she was fighting for sometimes and she remembered it was to bring them home safely. She had so easily embraced Narcissa and felt so comfortable with the witch. She couldn't let herself forget that she was there to protect the world from her not have the woman play mom. She really liked the woman and it was hard to keep her emotions separate. Narcissa was actually very affectionate and doted on her regularly. She should have expected this part of the witch's personality considering all the care packages Draco received through the years. She pulled herself together and continued on with Narcissa like nothing had happened but she realized she was starting to lose herself in the role and she needed to keep sight of who she was.

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Narcissa was fussing over Hermione's hair again. It was the eighth time that hour. She had spent the afternoon helping Hermione dress and prepare. She had taken it upon herself to mentor her in the rules of the pureblood elite over the last two weeks leading up to the party and Hermione was starting to get the hang of it but she was pretty sure it was easier to learn Erskine May than learn all the customs created by wizarding society. What she did understand was that tonight she would take her place in their society. Pansy was to be her escort for the evening and had apparently had black robes trimmed with red made to match Hermione's dress. Hermione was nervous about the event and had to cast drying spells on her palms. She had gone to the Yule Ball with Viktor because neither she nor Fleur wanted to face the backlash. Now she was going to present herself to the world on Pansy's arm.

She took a second to get her bearings while Narcissa went to check on the other. She missed her parents and not knowing where they were tonight hurt. She had asked Kingsley if she could write them letters but she had been told it wasn't prudent to communicate with them. It had been a full year since she had talked to them and she wished she was blowing out the candles on her red velvet birthday cake her mother made for her every year. It was a tradition that one day a year the no sweets ban would be lifted and they would all indulge in sugary decadence. She knew she should enjoy the evening and fret about these things later.

She was checking herself out for a final time when she heard a voice come from her chambers.

"You look delicious luv. Too bad it's being wasted on the chit Parkinson when you know you belong to me." Bellatrix was leaning on the door frame between her chambers and her dressing room. She walked up to Hermione stopping only inches from her face and whispered, "Save me a dance angel." With that she handed Hermione a black rose and walked out the door.

Hermione fought off her arousal and shook of the intrusion and left for the party. Pansy was waiting for her outside of her chambers with Severus, Aurora Sinistra, Lucius and Narcissa. Severus wanted a date that Hermione would feel comfortable with and Aurora was one of the few teachers at Hogwarts that still adored Hermione. The talking ceased once Hermione appeared and Pansy finally understood the term breathtaking. Hermione was drop dead gorgeous and Pansy felt her knees grow a bit weak.

Pansy wasn't the only one with butterflies. Hermione thought Pansy looked amazing, her robes were specially tailored to match the dress and together the two were a stunning couple. Pansy decided right then she had no idea how she had landed the beautiful girl but she had no intention of letting Hermione go, even if she had to duel with Bellatrix Black to keep her. The others left to join the party and before they made their appearance she walked up to Hermione and pulled her into a passionate kiss. Pansy took Hermione's arm and the two were announced. As she led Hermione down the staircase to the ballroom to the oohs and aahs of the partygoers.

Hermione spent the evening dancing with Pansy and spending time with her new friends and 'family'. She was having a great time especially since she had not mastered the ability to keep a straight face when someone mentioned 'coming out' and Severus was playing it up just to toy with her. The joke kept both of them smirking for most of the night.

The highlight if the evening came towards the end. A majority of the guests were gone and it was just the closer friends and Death Eaters remaining. The Dark Lord was now in attendance along with Bellatrix, Dolohov, Macnair, Nott, Rookwood, and Mulciber, all of whom were still wanted by the Ministry. Hermione was chatting with Nott, Yaxley and the Parkinsons when Pansy came back over to join them. Hermione saw a little glint on her robes and realized she got a very special birthday gift.

She made sure not to be obvious and excused herself for a second. She went into a hallway and summoned Namdi to get her what she needed before she returned to the party to find Pansy. She gave Pansy a soft kiss and apologized before she hit her with the stunner. As Pansy was knocked to the ground the guests gathered around in shock and were entering a state of panic. Hermione motioned for them to stop and be quiet. She knelt down next to her now thoroughly pissed off girlfriend and picked up a small bug.

"Namdi!" The elf appeared and handed her the spelled glass jar, "Baby I am sorry but you had someone hitching a ride."

She put the creature in the jar and waited a minute for it to come to. The beetle started crawling about the jar trying to escape while Hermione held it up.

"Pansy meet Rita Skeeter. Rita, welcome to my party. You probably should have crashed a Ministry event instead. Of course you wouldn't be here alone would you? How did the elves do Namdi?" The little elf snapped his fingers and two other elves appeared holding Bozo, Rita's photographer. She looked to Narcissa, Lucius and Severus.

Narcissa smiled, walked up and tapped the glass tormenting the little beetle. "It's your party and your call. No one here is going to care what their fate is and no one else will find out."

The bug moved faster around the jar at the statement. Hermione thought about it for a second, "Draco, will you and Blaise obliviate him and drop him in front of the Cauldron. I want him to think he was assigned to follow the Order members this week and Rita is undercover in Hogwarts...you are already here Rita, stick around for the rest of the party."

She took the jar and put it on a mantle place making Rita the guest of honor. Rita had not endeared herself to either side of the war and her appearance was well appreciated. Several couples even took the jar for a whirl while they danced. At the end of the evening Hermione apparated into the Natural History Museum and headed over to the Entomology Department. She finally found a display set up with beetles and placed the proper spells on the display to prevent Rita from escaping her confines.

"I will be back in one week Skeeter. I hope you're far more successful as a beetle than as a witch. If you are still alive we will talk."

With that she locked her in and apparated back to the Castle. She knew the Dark Lord wasn't going to let Rita Skeeter live after seeing him and his closest allies at her party and she had a week to sort out whether she was going to find a way to save the witch or kill her to keep her cover. The worst part was she didn't really care either way.

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Britpick apology if the Erskine May reference wasn't used correctly. In the first draft I actually had used Robert's Rules in there but I did catch it and change it to hopefully the right set of procedures.


	9. Chapter 9

Dark Effects

Chapter 9

The next morning Hermione met with Severus to go over their plans. They walked the gardens and strategized how they were going to get the Horcruxes and keep the Dark Lord happy. They were going to try a risky plan to curry the Dark Lord's favor and find out what the remaining Horcruxes were and where they are.

After they finished their plotting Hermione went to see the Dark Lord and put things in motion. She found Pettigrew was keeping guard and the troll actually made to grab her when she approached. He was going to try and strong arm her to stop her from entering, she hissed at him and he backed away and started going for his wand. There was no way she was ever going to be outdrawn by Peter Pettigrew and she had him on the floor wand to his throat before he could get to his.

"If our Master is unavailable just say so and I will come back but you don't touch me you filthy little waste of magic."

"Now now Hermione he has his uses, play nice." she looked back to find the Dark Lord standing by the door smiling. "I was just finishing up with Bella, why don't you join us."

Bellatrix stood when she entered the room. The hungry look in the witch's eyes unsettled her but also aroused her. No one had ever looked at her the way Bella did, not even Pansy. The look was so lascivious she felt a bit dirty and she liked it. She felt a little guilty enjoying Bella's perusal but it didn't stop her from appreciating it.

She took a seat with the Dark Lord's permission and quietly listened while they summed up the state of the union. They were planning to do a raid on the Ministry and the Burrow during the wedding of Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour. The Order would be split between the two locations that night and in a weakened state. Hermione felt a bit of guilty planning a raid on Fleur's wedding but she did get dumped for Bill so she shrugged it off and gave tactical information on the Burrow to help the mission. Once they finished she took the floor.

"My Lord, I would like permission to go to the old Order Headquarters and see what I can find. With Dumbledore dead the Secret Keeper oath is broken. Sirius was disowned by the Blacks so the house and its contents belong to Narcissa and Bellatrix. Without Dumbledore the protections are no longer enough. They have already cleared the place out I can feel it; I am no longer bound by the oath. They are not particularly cautious, putting faith in righteousness instead of tactics and logic, and they may have left valuable information behind."

He took a moment to think about it, "I am pleased with your eagerness take Bella and the mutt Greyback with you."

She bowed slightly as a show of respect and took her leave. When she saw Pettigrew pacing about outside the room she decided taunt him. "One day Nagini and I are going to play hide and go eat with you, you diseased ridden rodent!" She hissed at him as she walked just for good measure. Bellatrix had followed her out and as she made her way down the hall Bellatrix put her hand on her shoulder, "When you are ready for me, I'll be there. In the meantime I have your back." With that she walked away to get Fenir.

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The three went to Grimmauld Place to search for any remainders of the Order. Now that it had been abandoned Hermione had no problem showing it to Bella and Fenir. A defensive spell had been cast on the place but they easily defeated the recreated image of Dumbledore. As they searched she wandered from room to room. She knew what she was looking for but she couldn't reveal it to her companions.

Dumbledore had passed the information from his time in the cave to Severus in the astronomy tower. The two being master Occlumens and Legilimens made it easy to do without anyone knowing. He told Severus that they found a fake locket instead of a Horcrux and note from an R.A.B. It wasn't rocket science to figure out who R.A.B. was and Severus had been friends with Regulus. He quickly figured out who switched the locket.

He had been planning on tipping Potter but now he would use the information to their advantage. While they were talking, Hermione remembered the strange locket they had found while cleaning Grimmauld Place the year before. They decided to secure the locket and present it to the Dark Lord. If everything went right they would earn his absolute trust and they would know its location for future destruction.

She walked the house pretending to search and letting the memories of her time here keep her company. She went into the library and allowed herself some time to reflect on the past. She had a few good memories in this house and more than a few bad ones as well. She missed being with her friends and the comforts of a much easier life. She knew she was letting the darkness take over but it was the only way she could function and do what she needed to do. The world was relying on her and Severus to stop the Dark Lord and she couldn't do that crippled by emotions. She set back to work and went to find herself a crotchety old elf.

Kreacher was thrilled to see Bellatrix and was now very respectful of Hermione due to her new blood status. House elves talked and Kreacher knew Hermione was a powerful mistress who had gained great respect very quickly. Apparently Namdi had been singing her praises to the other elves. Hermione pulled Kreacher aside as the others searched the place for clues. She used the same flattery that worked so well with Namdi on Kreacher. It always amazed her how everyone took the elves for granted. Kreacher was in part responsible for the Battle of Department of Mysteries and they still didn't show any consideration of the elf.

He had betrayed to Order to serve what he considered his true owners, Narcissa and Bellatrix, and the Order did nothing to silence him. He loved the attention as he was a lonely old elf and he told her what he could about the Order leaving and showed her his collection of knickknacks. She saw the necklace among the items. She told him what a great service he had done and how proud he should be and she offered him a position in either her castle or Malfoy Manor so he could serve again. He chose to serve in Malfoy Manor pleased to be able to serve the Noble House of Black again.

Kreacher apparated to the Manor and they headed back to the castle. Hermione, Bella and Fenir went to the throne room to seek an audience with the Dark Lord. Severus and Hermione had decided that she would discover the locket and he would figure out Potter was a Horcrux thereby cementing both their places at the Dark Side giving them the ability to destroy the Horcuxes quickly and kill him when the time came. They had figured out why Potter was the one with the power to stop the Dark Lord, unfortunately for the boy it was his death that did it. If he came back like Albus hoped fantastic. If not Severus and Hermione would be able to finish the job at that point.

She showed the Dark Lord the locket and told him she wasn't sure what it was but that it hummed with dark magics, she said it felt beautiful and wanted him to have it. He was impressed with his newest addition, she had taken the initiative to search the old headquarters, had found a Horcrux and sensed its power. He knew he had chosen well. He hadn't had an initiate so powerful and gifted since Bella and Severus. She had earned her place close to him and he decided it was time to trust her with more responsibility. He dismissed Fenir, sending him off to gather snatchers and sent for Snape.

He brought the three into the study and told them about his Horcruxes. Bellatrix was honored to find out she was guarding one and Hermione and Severus had to hide their expressions when they realized it was in her vault at Gringotts. In reward for her service, the Dark Lord gave the locket to Hermione. He tasked her with protecting it and told her to wear it always. He wanted Hermione to continue looking for the Elder wand and decided to test her skills. He told her to go down to the dungeons and interrogate Ollivander to see what else the old man knew. Ollivander was holding back information and Voldemort needed whatever he was hiding.

Severus and Hermione shared a knowing look as they left the room. Dumbledore's plan was working perfectly. The two had been placed in the position to destroy the Horcruxes and Voldemort. He had revealed all of the Horcruxes to them and their last known locations. The issue they were dealing with was Bella. She was expected to be with them throughout this process and they needed to deal with her. Bellatrix's obsession with Hermione made her an ally, albeit an unpredictable one. They had decided it would be easier to keep her with them which would elevate her status too. She would never be clued in but she would never have grounds to question them and more importantly she would hopefully never have grounds to see them as a threat. When the time came they would deal with her.

The three left to head down to the dungeons so Hermione could interrogate Ollivander. He had been isolated for a while and had no idea he was in her castle or what had occurred in that time frame. She was still Hermione Granger, muggle-born friend of Harry Potter to the wand maker. The Death Eaters who were practicing their combat skills in the garden all stopped and stared while Hermione walked out and started to roll about in the dirt. After she was filthy she had Severus and Bellatrix who had caught on do the rest. Severus slapped her splitting her lip and Bellatrix tore her clothes and put several scratches on her face and arms.

They proceeded to his cell with Severus and Bellatrix dragging her the last twenty feet and throwing her in with the wand maker. Hermione curled into a ball as she hit the floor knowing she needed to let the older man do the work.

This wasn't the first ploy that they had tried with him and they had little success with the others. He didn't come to aid her and she knew he was suspicious so she stayed where she was and let herself drift off a bit while she waited. After about thirty minutes she felt the hand on her shoulder. She jerked and backed herself up to the corner and put her hands out as if to protect herself from a blow.

It worked, he spent the next few minutes trying to calm her down. He was surprised to see she had been captured. She told them that she had been captured defending Harry but that fortunately he and Ron got away. They told her she was going to be bait for her friends. She could tell he didn't trust her, and of course he was right, but the thing he didn't anticipate was that she was willingly aiding the Dark Lord. He could tell that she wasn't under the imperious curse so that left polyjuice. He had already been fed for the evening and Hermione told the guards not to bring food or drink for at least ten hours. The strongest polyjuice wouldn't only last a few hours and a normal dose only lasted one. By morning she would have proven she was in fact the real Hermione Granger.

The night passed uneventfully and in the morning than began to talk a bit again. He was still reserved and she knew he didn't quite trust her yet. She matched his demeanor, staying vague and avoiding providing any useful information but she did tell him that Snape killed Dumbledore. She knew she would have to prove herself to him to get him to open up and she had arranged for it the night before.

The guards showed up and instead of bringing their morning meal they brought Death Eaters. Bellatrix was accompanied by Severus, Dolohov, Draco and Lucius. Ollivander was taken far enough after the Battle at the Department of Mysteries to have read all the press on it. He would know she killed Bella's husband and hit Dolohov with cruciatus and would be expecting them to want payback. Unfortunately the wand maker made all of their wands and would be able to tell if they were holding back. Hermione knew this was going to be brutal but part of her welcomed the torture as a way to repent for the sins she had been racking up during her service to the Dark Lord.

They pulled her out of the cage and Bellatrix back handed her reopening her lip and knocking Hermione to the ground. They then spent the next hour alternating hexes on her while rapid firing questions about the Order and Harry. In between screams Hermione decided they were enjoying this way too much but she stayed strong and refused to reveal any information. She was having a hard time as Dolohov was making sure to get his licks in since he owed her one. She had a decent pain tolerance but it wasn't that high so they spaced their hexes and also 'hit' and 'choked' her which they could and did fake.

Ollivander spent the whole time begging for them to stop and leave her alone. Once she hit her breaking point and the wand maker sounded upset enough, she gave a very subtle hand signal to Severus and feigned unconsciousness. He stopped the others before they could hex her again and gave his own signal by berating Draco for jinxing her that badly which told the others play time was up. They threw her back into the cell and left her to her to her deception. She allowed herself to lose consciousness for a bit and finally came to a couple hours later. The guards had brought food and some water and Ollivander tried to get her to eat.

After they finished he cast a wandless silencing spell. Hermione was hoping for this. She wanted to see if she could find out the location of the Elder wand so they could retrieve it before Voldemort did. They could either give it to Harry or keep it for themselves but they didn't want to see how powerful Voldemort would be with the wand.

The wand maker told her that He-who-shall-not-be-named took him to try and find out why his wand clashed with Harry's. He didn't know how much longer he would be able to stay alive and he needed someone to know that Voldemort had somehow found out about the Elder wand's existence. Hermione chose not to admit it was her fault. He had not provided any useful information on it yet but he couldn't withstand much more abuse. She told him she had a plan to escape and would get them both out and not to reveal any information. She made sure not to ask about the wand further increasing his trust in her. After a few hours of going back and forth he finally decided to tell her everything in case something was to happen to him. He told her to find a wand maker named Gregorovitch, that if he didn't have the wand he would know who would.

She had just gained a huge edge but it was lost as soon as it was found. She saw movement in the corner of her eye and turned to see the tail disappearing into a crack in the wall. Pettigrew hated her from the beginning and if he could catch her in a lie he would be able to both eliminate her and increase his status with the Dark Lord. He hated being the Death Eater whipping boy and she had taunted and humiliated him at every turn. She knew she was stuck and would have to share everything with the Dark Lord. She could only hope that Gregorovitch was a dead end. They continued to talk for the rest of the afternoon and eventually the guards pulled her out to 'move her to her own cell'. She instructed the guards to keep the man isolated and alive in case he was useful in the future.

She met Severus in her quarters and she filled him in while he healed her wounds. She took a shower and the two went to the throne room to tell the Dark Lord the results. She made sure to tell the Dark Lord every detail of the conversation thereby not only ruining the rat's plan but actually improving her position with their Lord. She actually embellished a little making it seem as though Pettigrew intentionally left out information for his own potential gain. She had done what no one else could do in months and got the information from the famous wand maker in less than 24 hours. She had brought the Dark Lord one step closer to the Elder wand and defeating Harry Potter. She could bloody kick herself.

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Hermione was now wearing the necklace day and night and it was starting to take its toll on her. The problem was her character in this charade was a villain and so she seemed absolutely normal to everyone around her. When she met with Kingsley he noticed a difference as did Moody who decided to tag along for this meeting much to her dismay. Moody was furious about the ball and her relationship with Pansy and kept reminding her about her mission and warning her to stay away from the enemy. Her anger got the best of her and she finally told him to get the fuck out of her face before she made him No Eye Moody. She realized she was being juvenile and Kingsley finally sent him downstairs to the bar so they could talk.

She warned him about the attacks and let him know Grimmauld Place was fully compromised. Dumbledore had made her and Severus take an oath not to tell anyone but Harry and Ron about the Horcruxes so she had to leave Kingsley in the dark. She wanted to convey a message to Harry so she wrote a note and gave it to Kingsley to put it in Harry's pack. The note was spelled to open with the same oath as the Maurader's Map and she wrote in block letters so he wouldn't know it was from her. Kingsley again swore he would give him the pack and promised to put the note in it. Hermione finished up with him and headed home to spend time with Pansy.

Hermione's 'cover' was becoming complicated. Her relationship with Pansy was becoming serious and she was really enjoying being a Death Eater. She was now extremely well respected by her fellow Death Eaters and completely embraced by the Malfoys as family. Draco had become a good friend to her and was extremely loyal and Lucius had become a close friend as well. The family embraced her as one of their own and as the Order fell apart at the seams the Death Eaters grew stronger. She was starting to have a hard time separating her 'fake' life with her real feelings.

Narcissa had become great source of comfort and friendship and Hermione frequently visited the Manor to spend time with her. The older witch guarded her from the politics and posturing that made up the pureblood society. Narcissa was a Slytherin through and through, and instinctually she had always know that if she took care of Severus he would take care of her and her family. She felt the same with Hermione and the two women bonded becoming close friends.

Hermione was around Bellatrix frequently and had begun to find a strange comfort in the vicious Death Eater's presence. They had come to a simple understanding and a friendship had begun to form between the two. She had no intention of stepping out on Pansy but she found herself flattered by the disturbing advances of the dark witch. Bella understood Hermione was shifting to the dark and had decided to wait for her obsession to be ready for her. She knew the girl was intrigued and attracted to her but she was still hung up on the Parkinson girl.

She set about a slow seduction letting their friendship continued to develop as they worked with Severus to secure the Horcruxes and plan a way to get to Potter. Each day Hermione softened a little more to her would be suitor but the changes were subtle and Hermione barely noticed she was become more sinister with each passing day. Hermione found herself truly enjoying the company of the Dark Lord's favorite enforcer and assassin against her better judgment.


	10. Chapter 10

Dark Effects

Chapter 10

The next week passed slowly as Hermione had to catch up on paperwork at the Castle and was dragged into never ending Death Eater strategy sessions. She was surprised how many meetings villains were required to attend. She thought it was only the Order that had a love of sitting around a table rehashing the same bullshit again and again while coming up with hours of red tape and redundant procedures, but apparently completely useless and forever waffling middle management existed in all facets of life.

Moody had become as bad as Bella in his obsession with the exception of his lack of interest in bedding her. The owls were coming regularly and were starting to raise suspicions. She was surprised no one had questioned her about them yet but knew it was only a matter of time. When yet another owl from Moody questioning her loyalty and telling her to keep her eye on the prize arrived she finally lost her patience. She wrote him back and told him to get bent and stop risking exposing her with these owls. Of all the mistakes she would make as a spy, this is the one that cost her most and she would regret that owl to her dying day.

A reply owl came back two hours later that said, "learn your lesson well child, next time you cross me I will owl your potion to Voldemort and your fate will be sealed."

She didn't know what the son of a bitch had done but she knew whatever it was would not be good. She spent the rest of the day trying to owl Pansy but she hadn't heard back from her. She tried to contact the Parkinsons and even apparated to their house but no one was home. Severus was also trying to find them as he knew how unstable Moody was now. She was in a full panic by that evening when the Dark Lord called her to the throne room where he stood with a grim looking Bellatrix.

"What has happened My Lord?"

The Inner Circle had gathered around him, but the rest kept their distance knowing their place.

"The Grangers and the Parkinsons are dead. Pansy was with them and there was a Morsmorde over the house. They were found in what I presume was a safe house for the Grangers with Kingsley Shacklebolt who must have been their guard. It was made to look like the Parkinsons had betrayed us and we took our revenge. This is being done to cause dissension in the ranks."

He took her hands in his and continued, "Hermione I am a cruel man when I need to be and if I thought your girlfriend had betrayed us I would have ordered you to kill her or I would have killed you with her. This was done to sow seeds of discontent and lash out at you."

She knew it was the truth. One of the fears she always had had was he would make her kill her own parents to prove her loyalty but Pansy was a well-respected pureblood, he wouldn't have gone after her without proof of betrayal. More importantly, he would never do it like this; he would make a public spectacle of the affair. She knew it was Mad Eye; he had finally completely lost his marbles. She felt like she couldn't breathe and it was taking all of her willpower to stand upright and not break down. She couldn't acknowledge the pain even though everyone in the room knew it was there. Severus poured her a drink and she steadied her hand to down it and not reveal how badly she was shaking.

"My Lord may I go?"

"Yes, the Grangers were mudbloods but they raised you and if anyone was to take their life besides me it should have been you. They took Pansy from you and murdered her parents. The Parkinsons have no heir so it is your place to avenge them" he then spoke loud enough the rest of the Death Eaters could hear, "someone has countermanded my orders or has stolen my Mark. Find them and end them. Take who you need."

He took his throne and waited to see what she would do. She took Lucius, Draco, Severus, Bellatrix and Yaxley with her. She saw the Dark Lord approved of her choices. Calm heads except for Bellatrix who would be the incarnation of hell itself if needed. He used legilimency to provide the location and the six apparated to the site. When she arrived at the site she almost lost her legs for a second as she became lightheaded. It was one of the apartments that she had given to the Order. There was no way a Death Eater would be able to find it and this had to be Moody. She looked up and saw the Morsmorde in the sky lighting up the neighborhood with its green glow.

The Aurors were finishing up and she kept them in the shadows while they waited for them to leave. The investigators left but they hadn't brought in the squad assigned to transport the bodies and clean the magical evidence. They left two Aurors on guard at the site. It was Proudfoot and Savage, both of which she knew were friendly with Tonks. Yaxley stepped out of the shadows before she could stop him but she quickly realized she didn't have to. The two Aurors greeted Yaxley and lifted the wards so the rest of them could enter. They nodded their respects to Hermione as she passed. The two were Death Eaters in the Auror ranks and no one had a clue and now she had no one to tell. She went into the apartment and found her parents, Kingsley Shacklebolt and the Parkinsons in the living room. Severus put a hand on her shoulder while she closed her eyes and took comfort in his presence. She steadied herself and took a moment to control her emotions.

She realized Kingsley must have gotten in the way and when he did Moody killed him. Kingsley on his worst day would never let Moody do this.

"My parents and the Auror were killed here. It looks like Shacklebolt was poisoned, will you check Severus. My parents were Avada'd but the Parkinsons weren't. They were dropped off here."

Severus smelled Kingsley who had foam around the mouth and nodded. He had been poisoned.

Yaxley looked at the Parkinsons, "How do you know they weren't killed here?"

She nodded to Severus, "it's his curse, Sectumsempra." Moody used it to send her a message about her friendship with Severus, "The results are a bloodbath. There is no blood anywhere near their bodies. They were dumped here after they were killed. Our Lord was correct, it was made to look like they had betrayed us and were murdered for it. "

She found Pansy in one of the bedrooms and she wasn't as lucky as the others. She had been tortured before her death. She had gotten control over her emotions but now they were threatening to break free again. She stood over her silently for a few minutes, tears streaming down her face and kissed her girlfriend goodbye.

No one said a word; there were none to be said. She wanted to scream and yell, to pick up Pansy's body and run away, to do something to show the grief she felt but she did nothing but wipe away her tears. She needed to stay focused now she would deal with the rest later. She would mourn after she avenged them.

She saw nothing to reveal the killers and she imagined they didn't leave enough behind to help even the best trained Aurors find them which meant no one would attribute the killer's death to her, not that she cared at this point. She still needed absolute proof. She was about to systematically hunt down and execute an Order member and she wanted a smoking gun. She decided to use pureblood ignorance to her advantage. She went outside the apartment and looked around until she found what she was looking for.

There was a HSBC branch across the street. Not as fancy as Gringotts but unlike Gringotts they had cameras in their ATM. She went to the door to look inside. She knew the branch was closed but in a neighborhood like this they probably employed a night guard. She could see the glow of a small television and even make out what looked like a football match. The others were extremely confused on what she was doing, but she told them to trust her and transfigured their robes into suits. She transfigured two rocks into small wallets and took her earrings off which she turned into badges. She gave one to Severus who had caught on to what she was doing and then she banged loudly on the door until the guard came to the front.

When he peered out to see who was ruining his night they flashed their badges and Severus yelled "DCI Sullivan and Inspector Ashurst" she smirked at his reference and readied her wand behind her back. When he opened the door she cast an Imperius curse underneath the range of the cameras. The now pliant guard followed her instructions and took them back to the surveillance room. It turned out the bank had several cameras trained on the front and she had the guard replay the night's footage on all of the cameras much to surprise and awe of her fellow Death Eaters. She had never thought about it before but if a muggle obsessed wizard like Arthur Weasley couldn't sort out a rubber ducky there was a good chance that none of these wizards knew how far muggle technology had come. She wondered how they would react if she told them about space travel. How could they protect themselves when the last technology they embraced was the radio?

They scanned backwards through the footage for about 10 minutes until she saw the Aurors out front. She had him slow down the cameras and watched as Mad Eye Moody and Sirius Black left the building. Mad Eye cast the Mordsmorde and the two apparated away. She understood why now. Mad Eye was making sure she stayed angry and kept on her mission but what was Sirius doing? She knew he was a violent man and she presumed he had something to do with Pansy's treatment. He was willing to kill Pettigrew and more damning, he had set up Snape to die while they were still students at Hogwarts. She knew Remus had expressed remorse and James had stopped it from happening but Sirius was never apologetic about his attempted murder nor did he ever get called to task for it. She was pretty sure he was a sociopath in his own right. Albus did seem to be fond of the cruel, violent and criminally insane.

She wondered how Moody convinced him to kill Shacklebolt and her parents. She looked at Severus and knew he was thinking the same thing. She had the guard print out the pictures of the two and then reset the cameras. After he walked them out she obliviated him, he would remember watching the football match all night and since nothing out of the ordinary happened the footage of Hermione and the others would never be reviewed and would be taped over a month's time.

If for some reason the file was viewed they would see inspectors entering the bank, viewing footage and leaving. Either way it would never come back to them.

They saw movement in the sky and Hermione realized the next squad of aurors were finally on site. Bellatrix went to engage them but Hermione pulled her back. She motioned for them to be quiet and pulled them into the dark alley.

"I can still get close to Mad Eye and Sirius. If we fight then they will know we are here plus we will expose Savage and Proudfoot. Knockturn Alley." With that she apparated and the others followed. She was furious and she no longer cared about being exposed. She would avenge her parents and Pansy tonight if it was the last thing she did.

When they appeared in the dingy alleyway she leaned in close to Bella and pulled the dagger from her rather clever hiding place with a promise to return it. She told them to wait where they were and she cut up to Diagon Alley. She released her some of emotions and allowed the tears to fall and then started banging on the door of Eeylop's Owl Emporium. She knew the owner would rent owls and lived on premises and that he was also sympathetic to the Order. When the door opened she started bawling loudly that the Death Eaters had killed her parents and she needed to contact the Ministry.

The man brought her inside and lent her an owl. He excused himself claiming he was going to put tea on while she was writing her owl. She addressed it to Severus explaining what she was up to and to hold position. She knew Eeylop would secretly be sending one to the Order as well. She sent her owl out and when he returned she sat on the sofa and had tea with the shop owner while she waited for 'the Ministry to come'.

Moody showed up with Sirius and Remus in tow about fifteen minutes later. He thanked Eelyop for his service to the Order and pulled her back into the alley. He whispered in here ear, "you foolish little chit, what are you playing at. I told you not to try me, you think I won't expose you? That I can't?"

Sirius and Remus were heading up the street making sure no one came upon them and couldn't hear what was being said between the two.

"How did you convince Sirius to murder Kings?"

"Simple, I told him I had evidence that we had leaks in the Order and that Harry was right about you. You know he thinks his godson is the second coming of James. I brought him for surveillance when you had a meet scheduled with Kingsley. He bought it without a word. He has been pent up in Grimmauld Place and isn't exactly on the right side of sane since Azkaban and he was all too happy to aid in this endeavor. Nice necklace by the way, you know I can see its darkness with my eye. How come you never mentioned it? I think you are going dark and you need to mind your place. You realize I am the only one who knows where the potions are now. Get in line or I will make sure no one celebrates you as a hero. You will die a monster and no one will save you from your fate, in fact I will be a hero for stopping a vicious Death Eater and no one will be the wiser. I might even let Sirius play with you a bit first just like your little slut girlfriend, he didn't get any company in that dismal shack he called a home. Now let's talk about how you are going to stop fucking the enemy and do your job" with that he started dragging her down the street.

She looked up at the man responsible for her parents' death. Here was the man who had abused and murdered her girlfriend. She knew that she was cutting the only tie she had left to the light. She didn't care about the light or the dark, about this bloody war and their silly sides. She imagined him hurting Pansy or encouraging Sirius to rape her and she saw red. She was done with the sanctimonious hypocritical bastard. She smiled at him and said, "I was counting on your hatred, it's how I knew you would come. You're right Moody, I am a monster and a vicious Death Eater now and the world will absolutely will know after tonight!"

With that she slit his throat. He had been guarding against her wand and both his eyes had been focused on that hand. He never saw the blade coming. As his hands went up to his throat to stop the bleeding she used both hands and buried the knife in his chest. Sirius and Remus raised their wands to attack and started running back towards her when the other Death Eaters came out of hiding from Knockturn Alley firing stunners as they ran towards the two marauders. They took them alive but Hermione wasn't worried. The two thought she was a traitor to the Order and Moody was dead. The only risk she had of exposure was if the potions were found because now only Severus knew her secret and Severus would never betray her. They hauled the two back to the Castle to face the Dark Lord.

It was almost three in the morning so it was decided that they would keep Sirius and Remus in the dungeons until the Dark Lord was awake the next morning. Hermione blew Sirius a kiss goodnight as Yaxley and Severus shackled him. She could tell Severus was making sure the shackles were tight and he didn't let up until Sirius winced. Bellatrix wanted to take out Sirius and Severus had some payback to handout for his Hogwarts days to both of the Marauders. She imagined their fate wouldn't be good but she wanted Sirius herself. She never intended for Lupin to get caught up in this mess but if she had to choose between him and Severus there was no contest.

She made it to her quarters and she began to heal her hands which were cut up and bleeding from the knife. She had never used one before and her inexperience showed. She stepped into the shower to wash the blood off. She would burn her clothes when she was done. She finally truly released her walls and curled up on the floor and began to mourn her family and Pansy. She lost track of time as she let everything go but eventually she felt the water stop.

She looked up to see Bellatrix and Narcissa standing over her with towels in hand. They got her up and dressed her in clean clothes. She was still sobbing as they brought her back in the bedroom and laid her down on her bed. Severus came and lay next to her holding her. The two sisters sat on the edge of the bed with her as well. She held Narcissa's hand and Bellatrix wiped the tears from her eyes and stroked her hair. She closed her eyes trying to keep her sanity but was failing.

She tried to tell herself that nothing had changed she would still save her friends but as she opened her eyes and looked around she saw her problem. She looked at the three on her bed and then to Lucius and Draco who had come in with the Dark Lord. The three were sitting at the table sharing a drink. As Lucius poured her a drink she looked down and saw that Nagini had curled up by her feet on the bed and had laid her head on her thigh. She knew she would protect her friends, but exactly who were her friends.

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The next morning she woke up to hissing and found herself wrapped up in snake. She smiled at Nagini who was trying to convince Namdi not to wake her.

"You can't eat my house elf baby" she hissed. The snake nuzzled her with affection and let the elf pass.

Namdi had brought tea, which Hermione thanked him for, and the elf popped out before the snake decided on making him a midmorning snack. She drank her tea and thought about the night's events. She started crying again as the grief overcame her. She wrapped her arms around Nagini and let herself break down fully one last time. After about an hour she pulled herself together, promised not to cry over it again and washed her face and went to see the fate of the prisoners. Her life was most likely going to be way too short for wallowing, it was time for vengeance.

Nagini lead her to the throne room where she found Sirius and Remus tied up by their wrists, suspended from the ceiling by coarse ropes. They had clearly already started as both men looked to be battered blood dripping down their arms as the ropes cut into their wrists. The Dark Lord was sitting in his throne and rose when Hermione entered the room. He met her as she approached and wrapped his arm around her as he escorted her to a chair next to his throne. The act was powerful and sent a message to everyone in the room, we protect our own. It unified the Death Eaters and solidified their support for him.

She thought she should be horrified by the scene but she was too angry to feel anything but hate. Sirius' eyes were swelling shut but he cracked them open long enough to see Hermione. Bellatrix hit him with another hex and he shook with pain. As the tremors stopped, he laughed at Hermione and started to taunt her. He called her a traitor and started describing his time with Pansy.

He was hoping to goad her into killing him and end his suffering. It would have been a clever ploy but it had the opposite effect. She turned to ice and he had just given her the strength to take her revenge. She looked at the Dark Lord who nodded his approval. She stood up and approached him.

"Sirius, you fucking psychopath. Do you really think you are going to taunt me into giving you relief? You mistake me for a fool."

If she had looked down under her shirt she would have seen a light glow of the necklace as it helped feed her rage. She looked to Bellatrix and whispered, "show me how" and with the enforcer's instruction she set out to try and recreate everything Sirius described doing to Pansy right back to him. She thought someone would try and stop her but they all just sat back and watched. She never knew she was capable of so much evil but the rage was consuming her and Sirius' pain was like a balm on her torn heart. He took everything from her and he would pay.

Draco vomited at one point and fell to his knees. She knew he would leave the room and he would be seen as weak for the display. It would destroy him in the eyes of the Death Eaters. He was ghastly pale and his hands were shaking. She debated a second and then chose to protect him. She walked over to him and put a bloody hand on his shoulder and whispered encouragement in his ear. He looked into her eyes and found the mettle he needed, Pansy was his best friend and Sirius was going to pay for her death. He managed to help her finish with Sirius earning the respect of the others. Draco would be able to walk away from today with his head held high.

Towards the end, Sirius begged for his life. He cried out to everyone including Severus who just laughed at him. When he finally died Remus started to weep. He had been through many hardships in life but he didn't want to die this way. He wasn't there that night and she had no desire to torture him. Unfortunately he had done quite a bit of damage to Severus in his Maurader days including trying to eat him. Although the trying to eat him (twice actually) was no fault of his own, the aiding in the constant torment of Severus was though and his days of bullying were and they were going to cost him now. Hermione cut Sirius down so Nagini could have breakfast, kissed Remus on the cheek and apologized and passed Severus the knife.

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"So now what? Fuck Severus, I just tortured and murdered Harry's godfather Severus! You weren't exactly kind with Remus either. What did we just do? What have I just done? My family is gone Severus, dead by the Order's hands." she threw down the Daily Prophet, "and I responded with cruelty and hate. I am suspected for the murder of Moody, and the disappearance of Lupin and Black. They have taken everything from me, my family, my girlfriend, potentially my freedom and now my soul."

He took her hand in his, "not all of your family is gone Hermione, you still have me and frankly none of the three will be missed, hell you will probably get a medal for Black. He was a wanted man. You lost yourself to the darkness in your grief as I did in my anger. We are still salvageable Hermione, don't give up." She smiled and squeezed his hand.

"What now? I can't be a Death Eater. I can't do this. I have become a monster. I murdered and tortured and I liked it. What's happening to me? Severus, what do I do?"

"That is the effect of dark magic Hermione, I feel it too although it is stronger on you now. We do what we must and we stick to mission. Think about who Albus trusted most, me, you, Alaister, Sirius. He has always favored dark souls to do the most important jobs. War is not the place for saints or children Hermione. It is a world where logic must overrule emotion. Nothing has changed Hermione, he knew we would go through this and would be able to press on. It is why he chose us."

"Do you really believe that Severus, do you really think he would know how this would end?"

"I don't know Hermione, but I need to keep telling myself that so I don't fall back into the dark. We will either be the ones to save the world or damn it. We gather the Horcruxes and we put ourselves in the position to choose our own fate. We will do well in Voldemort's world but we will have to truly sacrifice our souls to do it or we can save the light but we will spend the rest of lives on the run being hunted if we do. We are damned if we do and dead if we don't and I don't want to make this choice now. We find a way to destroy the Dark Lord and keep our lives. We must stick to the mission."


	11. Chapter 11

Dark Effects

Chapter 11

The Death Eaters had cleaned up Mad Eye's body and Eeylops Owl Emporium burned to the ground with Eeylop in it. No one was left to make a complaint and Hermione didn't have to worry about any investigations into the matter. It turned out that Severus was right, no one cared what happened to a half mad ex-Auror, a wanted criminal and a werewolf except for the Order and their power within the Ministry was slipping away. The morning after she had murdered Sirius the Dark Lord called her in to his study along with Severus. He told her to hide the pendant somewhere as it was too dangerous to continue wearing. He left out that the pendant had served its purpose to help her fully embrace her darkness. It had done what he needed it to do and brought her the rest of the way.

He told her he couldn't risk her bringing it in to combat again. If she had failed against Moody the Horcrux would be in Order hands. There was no question she was a full-fledged member of the Inner Circle now and would see combat. After a discussion with Severus she stashed the necklace in her vault at Gringotts which was next to the Black vaults and therefore the Hufflepuff cup. A few days after she removed the necklace she realized it had been making her darker but she also realized that although she didn't think she could have eviscerated Sirius without its influence, she didn't feel the slightest bit guilty about it. If she had to do it again she still would probably kill the bastard necklace or no necklace.

She could only go so far in attributing her behavior to the dark artifact and this change in her was leading to numerous debates between her and Severus. They were both getting far more comfortable than they should and both were waffling back and forth between the right thing and the right thing for them. Hermione fell into a routine of plotting during the days and creating mayhem at night as she was sent on various missions.

She had helped abduct her Muggle Studies professor Charity Burbage the night before on the Dark Lord's orders and now she sat in her quarters arguing with Severus again. They both went back and forth on what to do. She was torn as she had actually liked the professor but Burbage had been cold to her once she became a pure blood and she was one of the professors that stood by and did nothing during Ron's tirade.

Part of her found it difficult to watch her beg for her life and part of her relished her professor's suffering. The part that enjoyed it seemed to be getting louder each day. She stayed stoic as the professor pled to her and Severus to save her. They both watched her die and then sat down to dinner an hour later like nothing had happened. The next night they were sitting in Hermione's chambers sharing a bottle of fire whiskey when they began their favorite debate again.

"What if we just stay Severus? Do you even care about the light anymore because I know that half the time I don't! Hell, more than half the time I don't. It feels good Severus, god help me but I am happier here than I ever was there. It's not like they are completely wrong. We both know that if muggles knew about magic we would probably be hunted down and if we were lucky executed. I don't feel guilty about it, ignoring the obvious fact that we would be guests at hotel vivisection if we were ever captured by them, look how much strife there is in the muggle world. Most muggles already have masters, just like we do. They have despots and parliaments, corporations and religions. We have Dumbledore and Voldemort. What's the bloody difference, we are actually probably nicer than the current regime for most of them. The many are already controlled by the few. We are just changing the few to us!"

He laughed, they had this debate three times a week and the only thing that changed was who was arguing which side, "You really drank the kool-aid tonight didn't you? How much of this is about political, moral and social implications and how much is you wanting to get under Bella's skirt?"

"Fuck you Snape! That's not fair. Pansy is barely in the ground."

"Hermione I don't fault you for it. Our lives are most likely going to be extraordinarily short, I know you still mourn Pansy but you need to take what pleasures you can. You don't have to stop loving Pansy to love Bellatrix. You need to take what you can, feel what you can, while you still can. You do realize you are considering shagging your aunt though, right?"

"First of all she is my aunt by marriage. We are not blood related. Second I am a pureblood now."

"What the hell does that mean?"

She smirked at him as she poured herself another drink, "it means they are no longer just family reunions...they are also single's mixers!"

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Harry's birthday was approaching and he was to be transported to the Burrow ahead of time. Severus had found out when he was being moved and a full scale strike was going to take place once Harry had left the Dursley's. As they adjourned the meeting she pulled Severus aside to sort out what he was going to do.

Severus told her not to fret, he had charmed Mundungus to suggest using polyjuice potion to create multiple Harry's so the-Boy-who-lived-to- be-a-dunderhead would have a chance to make it out alive. They knew he eventually would have to die so they could either kill the Dark Lord or make him very happy but they wanted Harry alive as long as possible. He was the key to defeating Voldemort or at least keeping him distracted while they did all the heavy lifting.

She had now committed cold blooded murder and even torture but they had all been bad people and she had the aid of the necklace for the more gruesome tasks. Tonight she was going to go to war with the Order and her friends...former friends. Tonight she and Severus would be fighting the light. They were no longer protecting themselves or settling scores; tonight they would embrace their inner monsters and truly take their place among the Dark Lord's elite. If all went well they would be his closest advisors, and they would be able to strike him down when the time came. Tonight they stood on their own and took control their own fates they would just have to stomp on the good guys a bit to do it.

They put their masks on and headed out to meet the others. She had gotten over her fear of heights as Bellatrix and Severus both spent time training her on a broom and this time Hermione's nerves were all attributed to the upcoming battle. They were divided into six squadrons and Hermione's was lead by Lucius and consisted of her, Draco, Crabbe Sr., Goyle Sr., Dolohov and Marcus Flint. As her squad took off she felt her body relax and her fears were replaced with elation. She now understood the uniforms, the military formations and the masks. She felt a sense of belonging and righteousness, and she felt strong, almost unstoppable.

As they approached Little Whinging the sky lit up with a lattice of curses and hexes. She was battling Mundungus Fletcher while her squad was taking on several of the Weasleys and multiple Harrys. Mundungus, being a coward of epic proportions, apparated out leaving the rest of the Order to fight. Draco was being tag teamed by the twins and Hermione circled back to help him. She was intercepted by Arthur who sent a stunner her way. She blocked it and the two started dueling. Hermione was still working on her flying skills and the she was losing her grip on her broom trying to block Arthur's spells. She was hit in the face with a spell that blinded her momentarily and almost knocked her off of her broom. Her mask was dissipated by the spell and she was revealed to the Order.

She heard a scream of "Granger" and felt a shooting pain in her thigh as the slicing hex cut into her. She regained her sight in enough time to duck under the follow up jinx. She dove down into the cloud cover and circled back behind her attacker. Tonks broke off from guarding her 'Harry' and went after Hermione. Moody, Sirius and Remus had been going to meet Hermione the night they disappeared. She knew she was responsible for the death of her husband and she was getting payback. Tonks threw a hex and then pulled up sharply before Hermione could get a spell off. The two witches were diving and weaving through the firefight sending curses as they flew.

Tonks had started ascending bringing Hermione up after her. She knew flying was a weakness of Hermione's and she wanted to get high enough to try and ice up her broom. They were well above the fight now and Hermione could only hear faint cracks from below. They had to be a good 2000 meters above the firefight and her breath was getting thin. She was starting to have trouble steering and she started to pull out of her climb when she was hit in the chest by a stunner and knocked of her broom. She was falling fast and was rapidly throwing spells to try and slow her decent when she felt someone pull her onto a broom.

The broom was wobbling and she quickly centered herself behind Bellatrix and wrapped her left arm around her waist. Bella saw Tonks diving towards them and blocked a jinx Tonks threw at Hermione. She snarled, "you don't touch what's mine niece!" and sent an Avada at her. Her aim was true and Hermione watched as Tonks' body disappeared into the clouds. She had just murdered her own family for Hermione. Bella let out a howl of victory and circled back to join the fight when Hermione saw a flash of light. It was the turbo setting on Hagrid's bike.

The bike was already being pursued by several people including the Dark Lord. She pointed to Bella and the two followed. As the chased the bike they saw Hedwig block a curse, the owl sacrificing its life to save Harry. This was definitely the real Harry. The Dark Lord appeared and again the wands took over. Harry's wand shot a pillar of flames and seemed to disable the Dark Lord. Hermione fired off a stupify intentionally missing Harry but accidentally catching Hagrid. She took the giant down and the bike began to spiral. Unfortunately it passed through the wards on the Tonks house and they couldn't pursue. As the two pulled up, Hermione directed Bellatrix to the Burrow. She knew they would never use Andy's house as a meeting place so she figured they could get a head start on where she knew Harry was going

As they flew towards the Burrow Hermione tried to calm herself. Her adrenaline was racing from waging battle and almost dying. She realized that she would be flirting with death frequently as the end of this war approached. Her body was humming and she realized she was becoming aroused by all of this. Bellatrix felt the body stiffen behind her and reached her hand back wrapping it into Hermione's hair and pulling her close. As Hermione leaned her chin on the witch's shoulder Bellatrix turned her head and kissed her.

The kiss only lasted a second but a second was more than enough. She wrapped both arms tightly around Bella and started nibbling on her shoulder and neck. Instead of feeling remorse she felt more alive than she ever had and completely turned on by the fight. Bella realized the reserved bookworm had just discovered battle lust and had every intention of taking advantage of it. She leaned back into her caresses as Hermione's hands started roaming up and down her body. Hermione began to explore her breasts while grinding herself against Bella. The older witch needed more attention and grabbed her hand and pushed her lower. She pushed her body as close to Bella as she could so she could feel her warmth.

She stroked Bella through her clothes and Bella arched into her touch and pulled up her skirt to give Hermione full access to her body. Hermione had danced this rhythm a thousand times alone in her room and captured Bella with her fingers. She rubbed the witch's clit while Bella started moving her body to match the pace set by Hermione's hand. Bella had to place both hands on the broom to keep from crashing but she had no intention of stopping Hermione's ministrations. She was aroused from the kill and knowing the younger witch was finally hers. She quickly came with a scream and grabbed Hermione's hand to stop a repeat performance. She honestly thought she would crash if Hermione didn't stop. She took Hermione's hand and kissed it, licking her fingers clean. She could feel Hermione shudder behind her. This wasn't over by a long shot. She knew Hermione wasn't thinking straight and her needs stemmed from her fragile emotional state but Bella was a huntress and when your prey is weak you strike. She wanted the witch and she was going to have her.

They flew low as they approached the wards of the Burrow. They didn't want be seen by Order members returning from the battle. They set down a few meters away from the ward line and Hermione dismounted and kissed Bellatrix. She pulled away, whispered "work first" in response to Bellatrix's whimper and walked up to where she knew the line was. She picked up a hand full of stones and threw them into the ward.

"We can't get through that ward!" Bellatrix whispered.

She looked to where the stones fell inside the boundary, "no Bella, humans can't get through the wards." She remembered the ease that Sirius and Peter entered and exited Hogwarts. Wards blocked people but still let nature in. She changed to her animagus form and began to weave her way through the field. She needed to be careful as a bright red snake wouldn't be hard to miss. As she approached the house she curled up behind some fire wood stacked by the door and waited.

Soon enough Arthur landed with the twins. Ron landed next and Bill and Fleur came up behind him. They were in the yard talking when Molly and Ginny came out and started assessing the damage to George who had his ear clipped by a curse. While everyone was distracted verifying each other and checking for damage, Hermione slithered in and hid under the couch.

She was rewarded for her troubles as Harry came in through the floo. The others came in and they started relaying who was alive and who was lost. Everyone was devastated by Tonks death and Harry confirmed that Hagrid was alive and unconscious at the Tonks house due to Hermione's wand. Arthur told them she had been the one dueling with Tonks before she went down and it turned out Severus was the one who took out George's ear. There was a heated debate as to what was to be done with the two traitors once the Order caught them.

She was surprised by the coldness in her friends' voices but she guessed from their perspective she deserved it, but she wondered how they were the 'light' when they so gleefully discussed murder and revenge. She knew she was in no position to judge and as she eavesdropped on their conversations she wondered if anyone could stay compassionate in a war. She knew she was always happier with logic and facts and she wondered if she was born stone hearted. She thought of Sybil calling her out during divination and realized she was always a bit icy.

Instead of going through tactical scenarios and planning their next move, they discussed whether to cancel the wedding. Molly said they couldn't let the Dark Side defeat them, that the Light must not show weakness. Hermione would have rolled her eyes if she could. Bloody brilliant! You are on the losing side of a war and your ingenious idea is to gather everyone on your enemies to do list in one place and make sure to add festive lights in case they couldn't find where they were attacking. The self-righteous cluelessness amazed Hermione. Her Lord would be pleased at this news and with her.

Finally everyone went to sleep and Hermione was ready to make her way out when Harry came down stairs. He had the backpack she created for him; Kingsley obviously never told him where it came from. He walked out the door and Ron came running down the stairs to follow. Ron chased Harry out the door and Hermione snuck out unnoticed behind him. It was only a quarter moon and as usual the yard was unkempt making it easy for Hermione to get close to where they were standing. She was hiding behind a broken wagon listening to the two talk.

Harry told Ron that no one else was going to die for him. She could hear Ron say that they would go together after the trace was gone and that Harry's birthday was on the day of the wedding. They would attend the wedding and then go on their search for the Horcruxes immediately after. She knew their plans and could now report back to her Lord. As Ron took Harry's pack and walked Harry back in, Hermione slithered back to where she had left Bella. The witch was lying in the grass watching the stars and Hermione realized she was absolutely beautiful. She changed back, walked over and straddled the witch leaning down to steal a kiss. Bella grabbed her hands and rolled Hermione over her pinning her in the grass.

"Are you really going to claim me forty meters from current Order headquarters?"

Bellatrix smirked and whispered, "you started it, I'm just finishing it."

She cast multiple silencing spells while Bellatrix began opening her robes and then pulled the dark witch down to her and captured her mouth. The two fought for control with their tongues as clothes were torn and thrown to the ground and needy hands found flesh. Hermione had always thought she would lose her virginity in a romantic setting not rutting like a cat in heat in the middle of a field but she needed Bella and she needed her now. Hermione moaned as Bella began to stroke her. She pulled at Bella's s skirt but her hands were smacked away and she found them once again pinned above her head.

"I have wanted you so long my dark little angel, I have spent so many nights pining after you, fucking myself to the thought of you and now I will have you. We have all night to explore when we get back to the castle baby but I am going to make you mine and I am going to do it in that little ginger boy's back yard."

Hermione was so turned on all she could do was wrap her legs around Bella's waist and grind against her. Bella returned her attentions to Hermione's need but as she entered she felt unexpected resistance. She pause and began to withdraw, she hadn't expected her to be pure. Hermione grabbed her hand and looked into her eyes.

"No one has had me. It has to be you, I need it to be you. Please Bella...I want to feel you. Don't coddle me, don't hold back. You said you want to claim me, then do so."

Bella didn't need to be asked twice. She would be soft and love Hermione fully later but now was about claiming her forever. She was rough and thorough and Hermione welcomed the pain encouraging her lover to take her harder. She felt like she couldn't get enough of Bellatrix's love or her violence.

They bit and scratched each other bruising whatever flesh they could find. Hermione begged Bellatrix for release and she finally granted her pleas covering Hermione's mouth to swallow her scream as she climaxed clawing Bella's back bloody in the process. After she came down from her release she curled into Bella's arms shaking and crying from the raw emotion of it all. The two witches kissed for a while longer while Bella let her come down and then got up to return to headquarters. Bella had sent a patronus to the castle letting them know they were to be delayed. They knew their reconnaissance had earned them a few hours but the Dark Lord would expect them in soon.

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They returned back to the Castle and found out that Tonks and Hedwig were the only ones taken out. The only casualty on their side was Stan Shupike who was under an imperious and not considered much of a loss. Hermione took Severus aside spoke to Severus before they approached the throne room. He told her that the Dark Lord once again had a problem fighting Harry and was furious at the results of the evening.

They decided this was the time to solidify their position with him. Hermione and Bellatrix would report in first, they were the only ones to get a kill during the raid and He would be pleased with them. Hermione's snooping would also earn her high praise. Severus would jump in then and he would postulate the' Harry the Horcrux' theory. They guessed that since Harry was a Horcrux he wouldn't be able to be killed by common spells. The diary was destroyed with a basilisk fang and they theorized the same would work with Harry. He was seconds away from death the first time when Fawkes saved him and the Phoenix was no longer around to bail Harry out. They knew that no matter which side they chose Harry would have to die and neither one really had any qualms on telling Voldemort how to do it.

Bellatrix came up to where Severus and Hermione were talking and possessively took Hermione's hand. Severus gave Hermione a look that said we will discuss this later and then walked into the throne room followed by the two women. Voldemort was now complementing Yaxley on his battle skills and noble defeat of Hedwig. He had at least calmed down enough to replace the yelling with sarcasm and Yaxley was thankful to be the butt of his jokes rather than the target for his wand. When he saw the three enter he dismissed everyone else and motioned for them to join him in the study.

As they entered he poured everyone a drink and they sat down to discuss the evening's events. Bella filled him in the battle and their trip to the Burrow and Severus confirmed that he did manage to make the twins distinguishable from each other. The Dark Lord congratulated the two women on their performance in battle and was extremely pleased to hear about Hermione's idea to eavesdrop. Knowing that Harry would be at the wedding gave him the ability to pursue the boy and strike the final blow to the Order in one sweep. Just when he didn't think his day couldn't get any better Severus shared his theory with him.

It made perfect sense. Their wands would always clash because he couldn't defeat his own Horcrux with a wand. He knew he had chosen his advisors well and Severus had once again proved his worth. This was the answer he needed. He assumed Dumbledore failed to tell Harry the part about his dying but his death had to be part of the Headmaster's master plan. Well at least something the daft old man planned would come true. The three planned the dual attack on the Burrow and the Ministry. As they wrapped up he told them that he wanted them at the Ministry as he wanted to lead the attack on the Burrow himself and he wanted people he could trust in charge of the Ministry raid. After they finished up their plotting he dismissed the others and asked Hermione to stay behind.

He switched to parselmouth and hissed to Hermione, "You have allowed Bella to claim you?"

"Yes my Lord, but we will both always serve you first my Lord."

"I know my friend. You have proven yourselves again this evening. My Bella pleases you?" she nodded her approval of the match. He smiled and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, everything was going perfectly to plan.

"Hermione, you know how Bella is and you know how obsessed she is with you. You cannot casually date her like some Hogwarts student. You have claimed her, are you willing to face everything that means? Are you willing to bond with her? Give her a child?"

"My Lord, I knew what I was doing when I submitted. I know I am hers now and I accept what comes with it. Tonight after the battle I felt almost compelled to be with her and I finally realize we belong together. I didn't know a child was a possibility my Lord but I would happily give her one."

"Magic Hermione, there are fertility rites that can be performed. Are you ready for this?"

She knew it was completely insane but she was. Bellatrix was twisted and completely fixated on her and Hermione loved her for it. It was amazing to have someone want you so bad they would do literally anything for you. She knew that she would need to leave open an escape route for her and Bellatrix and her because she had no intention the leaving the dark witch and this bond would be forever. She now accepted her place was with her and it all felt so right.

"Yes my Lord."

"Very well, I want you to finish your schooling Hermione. You will already carry a high status in my ranks and eventually I could see you as Minister, but you need to complete your education. Once you finish your N.E.W.T.s you will be bonded with Bella and serve by my side along with your wife and Severus."

She went to one knee and bowed her head, "Thank you my Lord". He was offering to fulfill her wildest dreams and she was starting to wonder if she would be able to kill this man when the time came.


	12. Chapter 12

Dark Effects

Chapter 12

Hermione was happy to see that Harry had his pack with him. She was worried that Kingsley balked on his promise. If he had the pack then Harry probably had the note she wrote as well. It was written to appear only to him and said: _Four houses: a locket, crown and cup contain the pieces you need and the sword will destroy them all. The Sword and the Cup lie within the safest place in the darkest vault and the Locket lies near with a friend turned foe. The Crown is in a Room of Hidden Things. _

She wanted to sound cryptic and vague like Dumbledore would have but she also knew Harry and Ron could be dense so she made it easy enough for them to figure out. Honestly if they couldn't sort this one she was switching sides just on principal. She hoped they left before the wedding or escaped during it but she couldn't worry about them now. The week leading up to the Ministry and wedding raids was a whirlwind of activity. Severus and Lucius were preparing all of the documents and procedures to take over the Ministry smoothly in what would be a window of hours.

They had enough people in place to allow them to seize the building but they needed to make sure anyone who was an enemy of the new regime would be replaced by someone more compliant. Hermione and Bellatrix were given the task of preparing the troops for the raid on the Ministry. The string of losses by the Order had improved recruitment for the Death Eaters and the Castle had been filled with young eager witches and wizards looking to succeed in what they saw as the winning side.

Due to the sheer volume of recruits at the Castle, many of the Inner Circle were back at the Manor to Narcissa's dismay. Hermione and Bella split their time between the two homes spending more time at the Manor while they were planning the raids which made the situation more pleasant for the Lady of the Manor. Narcissa had been thrilled to learn of her sister's betrothal to Hermione and not just because she was going to get to throw Hermione another party. Her sister had mellowed in the months she spent befriending and seducing Hermione and now that the two were together Bella was lucid and almost pleasant to be around. The same traits that had scared off other witches seemed to please Hermione. She had come to love Bella's possessiveness and from what Narcissa had heard she wasn't adverse to quite a bit of kink. Being accepted unconditionally had finally centered Bella and Narcissa was happy to have her sister back.

Hermione had become a close friend and trusted ally. Narcissa's affection for the girl was quite genuine but Narcissa was shrewd and always saw every angle. There was no question Hermione was being groomed for greatness. She was already a trusted advisor and she was only 18, eventually becoming Minister of Magic wouldn't be a leap.

Hermione had protected the Malfoys since the day she found out she who she was and she had shown Draco kindness even before then. She knew that having Hermione as Lucius' niece only went so far but Hermione was to be her sister-in-law and was going to take the Black name. Narcissa had finally learned the story of what happened with Sirius Black, Mad Eye Moody and Remus Lupin including Draco's part. She knew Draco would have run out of the room if not for Hermione's interference. Hermione could have let Draco run or mocked him to further herself, instead she put her own reputation on the line by having faith he could pull himself together.

Narcissa hated what happened and what her son and Hermione had become but she knew that this was part of war. Narcissa knew that as long as there was war there would always be war crimes and both sides had racked up their share but it was easy to say and hard to live with. She would rather her son be the perpetrator than the victim if he was destined to fill one of those roles. Plus the three wizards were no great loss.

When Hermione had killed Mad Eye and Sirius she had earned a life debt of both Lucius and Narcissa and it wasn't just for protecting Draco. During the first war, Narcissa, like many women associated with the Death Eaters, had been subject to the Order's interrogation techniques. She knew what sort of horrors Pansy had faced before she died. Mad Eye and Sirius had been among the ones to 'interrogate' her during the war.

Lucius knew why she woke up screaming sometimes but she would never tell him who was responsible. She knew he would seek revenge and she needed him with her, not rotting away in Azkaban. After every nightmare he would wrap his arms around her and promise her no one would ever hurt her again, but he never had the satisfaction of ending the lives of the men who harmed his wife. The day after their deaths, Narcissa finally told Lucius who it was. Hermione had both avenged Narcissa and saved their son in one evening and the Malfoys would forever be in her debt.

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She walked among her troops. They had divided the soldiers for the Ministry between the four of them with each taking a unit of fifty men comprised of werewolves, vampires, Death Eaters and wands for hire that were starting to be referred to as Snatchers. Hermione was being honored by leading a unit in. Hermione and Lucius units were going through an Auror entrance located in the Department of Mysteries. There was a prisoner processing station there and the training facilities for the various Ministry units. They had the hardest part as they had to take on the Unspeakables and the Auror night guard. They would meet up with Bellatrix and Severus who were going through the front door and floo network and capturing the lobby and first floor offices. They would then secure the building floor by floor.

She looked over to her first. Dolohov had been extremely effective and had no problem having Hermione as a commander. He was a vicious warrior and had spent most of the year working on his combat skills. He had no intention of losing again. He straightened up Draco's robes and walked over to her.

"We are ready to go Hermione. Your reputation precedes you; they are ready to follow you into battle."

"But are you Antonin?"

He laughed, "I am much happier fighting beside you than against you. I still get twitches from last summer. Lead on!"

Hermione nodded and separated herself from the shadows. She finally saw who she was looking for and headed over to where Savage and Proudfoot were waiting. They took her into custody and pulling her through the entrance. She put up a rather loud fight kicking one of the night guards in the shin. He slapped her and then as expected two of the four guards at the front escorted them to processing. Once the difficult prisoner was secure in the processing office the two would return to their post. Hermione had intentionally waited until shift change knowing the guards would be their most disorganized and lax. As she was being dragged down the dreary hall Dolohov and Lucius snuck up to the entrance and took out the first set of guards with ease.

She smirked at the fact that just over a year ago she was here protecting the Ministry and the 'light' and now she was about to take them all down. Her hands were loosely bound and she slipped a small blade from a hidden pocket in her robe. The blade was a gift from Bella. They made love well into the morning knowing they would be going into battle. The knowledge of the fight to come had fueled their desires.

Bella had been soft and loving taking her time with Hermione. She had kissed every inch of her body spending hours exchanging gentle caresses and light kisses. As the two lay entwined, Bella produced the knife. It had been passed down for generations in the Black family and was goblin forged. The blade had been a war prize from the Goblin Rebellion of 1612 and had stayed in the family since then. Hermione would be expected to pass it on to their child when she was ready for battle. The knife was unbreakable and could cut through almost any substance on earth and was a priceless heirloom. She ran her finger along the hilt and thought of her lover.

They were about halfway through the long entry hall when she dropped her bindings. She knew that the two guards at the front would have called in her capture before their demise. The Aurors and Unspeakables would be gathering in processing to get a little pay back for Nymphadora Tonks. She struck one of the two guards with her knife while Savage and Proudfoot took out the other and helped her finish the job with the first.

Lucius and Antonin caught up to her with their units and they prepared to start the attack. She rounded the corner with Proudfoot and Savage. She went back to pretending to be bound while the troops stayed behind staying out of the sightline of the guards at the entrance to processing. As expected the many of the guards from the earlier shift abandoned their posts early to go to central processing to taunt Hermione and the next shift was slow to take their place. On their way in they quietly eliminated the few guards that were where they are supposed to be and headed to the central station.

An Unspeakable saw them as they approached and called out to the others but it was too late. Hermione threw a potion that acted like a flash bang grenade and the three cast protection spells. The guards and Unspeakables were temporarily blinded and disoriented and the troops came up the hall and attacked. They were corralled in to rooms and were easy targets. There were wizards and witches that were loyal to Voldemort among them and as they tried to protect themselves from the threat outside they were struck from within. They killed everyone who didn't drop their wand and more than a few that did. There would be no Order sympathizers left in the Ministry by sunrise.

As the last of the Unspeakables fell Hermione assessed her troops. They had only lost four of their own and only one had the mark, Mulciber. Lucius and Hermione stepped over the broken bodies of the Aurors and Unspeakables and led everyone up to the lobby to meet with the others. When they arrived they were greeted with a blood bath.

Bellatrix had been in true form and anyone who didn't surrender instantly met the wrong end of a wand or knife. Bella was covered in blood and once Hermione confirmed it wasn't hers, she pulled her into a searing kiss. She knew her lover would need her attention once they were done here. War was an aphrodisiac to Bellatrix and Hermione would be the recipient of her very deviant attentions. She looked in her witch's eyes and realized she was looking forward to it.

They started clearing the building floor by floor. She wondered how the wedding was going; they should have had their surprise guests make an appearance by now. She thought of Fleur's perfect wedding being crashed by Death Eaters and the Dark Lord and smiled as she blasted open the door of Arthur Weasley's office. She sat down to search the office and could hear screams and explosions as the Ministry employees were putting up a last stand. A wizard ran into the office to find a hiding place and ended up hit with a slicing hex for his troubles. She barely looked at him as he bled out on the floor before her.

After finishing up with the office she set out to find Bella. She wandered through the building jinxing Aurors and stray combatants along the way. There were scorch marks and bodies everywhere. Blood dripped from the walls and moans from the injured filled the building. She saw none of it and felt none of it. She was focused on finding her lover and could care less about the fate of those too foolish to surrender.

She found Bella in the Minister's office. She had Scrimageour curled under the desk and Lucius and Severus were ransacking the office while mocking the now crying Minister. Severus found a bottle of fine brandy in the cabinet and the four toasted to the fall of the Ministry. They had done it; they had taken over the Ministry of Magic. Bella finished her drink and promptly kicked the boys out having them take the soon to be deceased Minister with them. She locked the door and turned to Hermione who was sitting in the Minister's chair.

"You look good there baby. It will be yours one day."

"One day. Come over here Bella, I am in no mood to play."

She stood as the dark witch approached her. She knew her lover was still wired from the battle and needed to conquer and she surrendered easily when Bella spun her around and pinned her against the desk. Bella cleared the contents with her arm and pushed Hermione down climbing on top of her.

"Get used to how this feels baby because when this is your office I am going to come here and fuck you hard every day. You may preside over England but you will never forget you are mine."

Hermione moaned and pushed up against Bellatrix. Instead of meeting her thrust Bellatrix bound her hands and cast a divesto on Hermione's clothes. While Hermione thrashed against her bindings, Bella walked around and poured herself another drink bringing the bottle and a bucket of ice back with her. Hermione was caught between mortification and arousal as she lay pinned on the desk exposed and defenseless.

Bella leaned over her and kissed her, "I am going to take my time with you tonight angel. I hope you noticed I didn't cast any silencing spells. By the time I am done with you every man and woman in this building will know who you belong to."

She fished an ice cube out of the bucket and began to run it down Hermione's body. Hermione hissed as the ice hit her nipples and dipped into her belly button. Bellatrix followed its path with a warm tongue.

"You understand this baby don't you? You understand me? You know you can never leave me now? You will be my wife, until death do us part Hermione?"

Hermione whispered, "I know Bella, yours baby...forever."

Bella popped the ice cube in her mouth and began to kiss her way down Hermione's body. The combination of the cold from the ice and the warmth of Bella's mouth was undoing whatever restraint she had and as Bella found her center Hermione began to buck wildly under her ministrations. Bella pulled the chair up and sat down using her hands to hold Hermione in place.

"I want you to scream it baby! I want everyone to hear it!"

Hermione lost it as the attack continued. She knew there were at least four dozen Death Eaters in an earshot and she didn't care.

"Fuck Bella, anything! I will do anything just don't stop. Oh god baby I am yours I swear! Yours forever! Bella!"

By the time Bella was done with her she had sworn her body and soul to the older witch and begged her for release loud enough everyone knew exactly what was being done to her and who was doing it. Bella took her time playing with Hermione before she finally released her from her binds.

When she finally did get loose all Hermione could do at first was curl into her lover's arms and hang on for dear life. She was hoarse from screaming Bella's name and exhausted and sore from her affection. Once she caught her breath she pushed Bella back in the chair, dropped down to her knees and returned the favor.

Once they were both satisfied, the two witches cleaned up and got dressed. They were greeted by smirks and knowing winks as they left the office.

She walked up to Yaxley and Dolohov who were both giggling like school girls, "where are Lucius and Severus?"

Dolohov, along with anyone within earshot, laughed at her question. Yaxley answered before she lost her patience.

"They said something about not wanting to hear you get shagged and went back down to the Auror's Office to sort them out. Thicknesse wants to get into his office if you two are finished up with it."

As Bella and Hermione headed to the elevators, Hermione called back loud enough for everyone to hear, "You'll love the chair Pius, it's very comfortable."

They were serenaded with a round of cat calls as the elevator doors closed on them.


	13. Chapter 13

Dark Effects

Chapter 13

The raid on the wedding wasn't even remotely as successful as the raid on the Ministry. Potter had stupefied Pettigrew and Crabbe Sr. and he and Ron apparated out. Apparently the two had finally learned how to do it without splinching. She imagined that McGonagall was tapped to teach them once Dumbledore realized Hermione wouldn't be available to cart them around. What surprised her was the wards at the Burrow didn't repel snakes and she surmised that Minerva hadn't told the Order what her animagus was. She wondered why her former head had held her tongue. Something she was apparently going to get to ask her. With the failure at the Burrow, the Dark Lord was even more adamant she finish her schooling.

He knew that Harry had to eventually go to the school to get one of the Horcruxes and all of their allies would be returning as the D.A. was the only army he had left. The Order was splintered and the factions were fighting amongst themselves leaving the next generation to sort it all out. Hermione's job was to deal with the D.A. while Severus oversaw the school as headmaster. With the Ministry well under their control, the Death Eater's had been pardoned of all crimes and any investigations were ceased. Severus and Hermione had moved up Scrimagouer's wanted for questioning list over the past month and now had a reprieve. Severus had been appointed Headmaster by the new Board of Governors which was led by Lucius Malfoy.

Hermione was packing up to head back to school the next day when she finally remembered she needed to visit a friend she had forgotten about. She had almost gone back to Hogwarts without swinging by. She headed to the museum and cast a spell to identify which beetle was Rita and fished her out of the cage. The intolerable reporter was furious and not bright enough to realize that Hermione was not a witch to be trifled with. She promptly began to berate Hermione for her ill treatment and threatened to send the Aurors after her. Hermione laughed at her threats and filled her in on what she had missed in her time away from the Wizarding world.

A smarter person when told that big, scary and evil was now in charge would have backed down, a smarter person might even kowtow a bit to the dark witch that had locked them up twice especially when that witch was favored by the Dark Lord. She continued to lay into Hermione despite her numerous warnings to the contrary. Hermione had been hoping for a way out of her grim task but the haughty woman continued her tirade informing Hermione of the numerous articles she was going to publish about her ties to the Death Eaters and the absolute destruction she was going to do to Hermione's reputation.

"You think you can do this to me? I'm Rita Skeeter! I am the greatest reporter the Daily Prophet has ever had. I am a published author! You think your fourth year was bad. I have connections! I will ruin you, you little tart. Try me little girl and I will eat you alive!"

Hermione looked through the exhibit and event list of the museum as the woman droned on and a dark smile graced her face as she decided to comply with the Dark Lord's wishes. She hit Rita with an imperio and sent a patronus to Severus requesting he join her with a potion she needed. He arrived at the museum with the Dark Lord, Dolohov, Bellatrix, Yaxley and Lucius. Apparently they wanted to see what she was up to that would require this potion.

Hermione had Rita drink a freezing potion that would petrify her for 48 hours. She would be aware of her surroundings and be able to feel everything but unable to move. She transformed her back to her animagus form and brought her through the museum to an exhibit of the event that caught her eye. A large banner said Entomophagy for Earth; an environmental fundraising event set for the next evening that was serving wine and hors de' oeuvres. She added Rita to the top of a large pile of beetles that were waiting for the preparation the next day. Everyone else looked confused as they walked out of the museum. Lucius was the one who finally asked.

"What did we just do? And what is Entomophagy?"

"That's a fundraiser for an environmental group taking place tomorrow night. Entomophagy is bug eating. By tomorrow night Rita will be tempura battered, deep fried and served with soy sauce, mirin, Japanese sake and honey all for the name of charity and she will be aware of everything that happens up until she hits the oil."

Lucius and the others laughed and the Dark Lord put his arm around Hermione's shoulders, "You're a twisted witch niece. As always, well done!"

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Her return to school was relatively uneventful. Severus knew Hermione would not play well with the other students so she was given her own quarters again. He appointed her head girl and Draco head boy. The two were given a suite. They each had their own bedroom and bath but they shared a common area. It had become common knowledge that Hermione was one of the unit leaders during the Ministry raid and that Draco took part as well. Severus wanted to make sure they had a secure place where they didn't have to worry about students hell bent on avenging their loved ones.

Once she got herself situated back at school she set about her task of addressing the D.A. She needed to find out information on Harry and get some control of the D.A. She knew she wouldn't be able to approach the members herself and she would be attacked if she went anywhere near Gryffindor. She needed to flip someone and she knew exactly who she was going to turn. She needed help and she needed to bide her time until the plucking was right. She went over to Draco's room, it was time to have a chat.

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The first month of school had gone relatively smoothly. The Carrows were absolutely nuts but they adored and fawned all over Hermione. Their nieces had been acting as Hermione's personal guard and the word was out that she was the one not to be reckoned with in Voldemort's regime. Those sympathetic to the Dark Lord were extremely attentive to Hermione, but the other professors were distant and polite and the students kept away from her.

Hagrid was stilled miffed about the Battle of the Seven Potters as everyone was calling it. He held her responsible for Tonks and he knew she was the one who knocked him out. If anyone else had crashed like the giant had they would have been dead. As it was Hagrid ended up with four broken ribs and a dislocated shoulder. About two weeks into the school year she ran into Hagrid and McGonagall in the hall and Hagrid confronted her about her misdeeds.

Her only reply was that she had only thrown a stunner,"I could have done and had done to others far worse." That shut the large man up very quickly and stormed off grumbling. Hagrid might not be the sharpest tool in the shed but he knew trouble when he saw it and he realized that the bookworm was a dangerous enemy to have. McGonagall said absolutely nothing during the exchange and gave Hermione a strange look before walking off. Hermione added figuring out what was going on with McGonagall to her task list.

Hermione finally cornered Ginny in the beginning of October. She waited until quidditch practice was over and hid in the prefects' bathroom. She knew Ginny would use the baths to soak and she might finally catch her alone. The Slytherins had left Ginny alone and Draco had started flirting with the Gryffindor seeker. Hermione knew crushes die hard and she was softening her up. Draco had always fancied the girl and was all too happy to comply with Hermione's plan. Ginny entered alone and Hermione waited until she was in the water and had her eyes closed and then stripped down and joined her. Ginny was startled by the slash and when she saw it was Hermione she started to reach for her wand.

"That's not necessary red, I come in peace."

Ginny hesitated unsure what to do, "I am not into girls 'Mione."

She laughed at the girl, "Relax Ginny I am happily engaged and she is the jealous type. I just came to talk."

"So it's true? You're with Bellatrix Black now? You got over Pansy right quick didn't you? They're saying the Death Eaters killed her so you and Bellatrix could date."

Hermione's eyes flashed with anger at the accusation. She had her wand at Ginny's throat before Ginny could even reach towards hers, "Ginny, I have never shown you anything but kindness but listen to me now. Mad Eye and Sirius raped and murdered my girlfriend and I am not over it nor am I over her. The heart is a complicated thing and we are at war. I plan to live each day to the fullest because I know I will most likely be dead before a winner is declared and I suggest you do the same. You have stayed true to our friendship and I will stay true to you but if you ever make another comment like that to me I will owl you home to Molly and Arthur in pieces and it will take every last bird in the owlery to deliver all the parts."

With that she put her wand back with her towel and relaxed into the bath. She closed her eyes and could hear Ginny trying to catch her breath. She knew the witch wouldn't push her luck and after a few minutes Ginny calmed down.

"You're the reason the Slytherins are still nice to me aren't you? I am D.A. and a Gryffindor and they still open doors for me and never taunt me like the other. Are you why Draco is flirting? Why?"

"Because like it or not Ginny, you are more like me than you are like them. You know you are. You feel the darkness and the rage. You hate your life, your poverty and at times your family. You excel at Dark Magic and were one of the youngest witches to make the Slug Club. The Order and your family make you conform to what they think is right. Harry dumped you didn't he. Of course he did, what did he tell you? He needed to focus on the mission? The greater good? He didn't want to put you in danger? We both know he didn't want the responsibility. And let me guess, you can't let anyone know you're angry because it's the golden boy and he can do no wrong. I have nothing to do with Draco's heart. You know Draco likes you don't you? He always has. It is part of the reason he hates Harry so much. Why fight your attraction to him. He is everything you want, hell everything any girl could want. Rich, brilliant, devoted and good looking. You know he won't run away from you. He is loyal and true."

"And what do you get out of this Hermione. Why are you here?"

"As I said before, you are the only one who didn't turn their back on me when my bloodline was revealed. You are my friend Ginny, even if you are on the losing side. Also Draco has become one of my closest friends. He is the friend that Harry and Ron never were and I want him to finally be able to get the girl. You will make each other happy." She got up, toweled off and dressed. As she walked towards the door she left Ginny something to think about, "We will all have to fight in this war Ginny. When you are on the battlefield looking back how will you have wanted to have lived your life, your way or theirs? Who do you want watching your back Ginny? Me? Draco? We are here. Where are Harry and Ron? Why aren't you with them?"

The conversation had worked and opened the door for Draco. He really did have a huge crush on Ginny and he was thrilled to begin courting her, even if it had to be done in secret. Hermione knew she couldn't ask Ginny for information or to betray her friends and family, she would have to let the girl get there herself. Fortunately driving someone with dark proclivities a little bit wasn't hard to do, particularly when the Gryffindors were involved. Ginny already felt alienated and as the D.A. plotted against Hermione and more importantly Draco, Ginny would make the switch herself. It had worked on her and it would work for Ginny.

Severus decided to raise morale and ease tensions by following the Halloween feast with a costume party/masked ball for the students. The real reasons were to give Draco the ability to work on Ginny some and more importantly for Severus to be able to make some changes to the Hogwarts wards unnoticed. He was going to tweak the wards to give both he and Hermione the ability to apparate if need be and he wanted the ability to pull and drop wards inside the castle, specifically on the Room of Requirements.

The school was excited and surprised by the Headmaster's magnanimous gesture. The students were almost giddy and the staff was even in a pleasant mood with everyone looking forward to something to cheer them up. The Carrows were brutal and Severus could only go so far to interfere with their Draconian teaching style and this at least gave a respite from the dark curriculum the school was now immersed in. Hermione would be attending the party to keep an eye on the professors, particularly McGonagall. She was to warn Severus if it appeared anyone caught on to what was happening.

Hermione dressed in a classic little black dress and accented it with a black and red Noh mask portraying a demoness named Hannya. She figured she should make a statement and embrace the opinions of her fellow students. As she entered the ballroom she noticed that many people stopped talking to take notice of her. All she could think was 'good, let them look!' She was tired of feeling guilty and dealing with the anger of her classmates.

Their precious Dumbledore was the one who put her where she was and she was their only hope for the fall of the Dark Lord. Harry was a Horcrux not a hero, she was surprised he wasn't captured yet and wondered how the two were fairing on their own. She imagined it was probably pretty ugly as neither one were particularly self-sufficient. Harry had skipped more than his share of meals in his life but Ron was probably unbearable by now.

She grabbed a glass of pumpkin juice, secretly wishing for something stronger, and headed towards her friends. Draco was holding court with the Slytherins and Hermione took note of everyone's costumes. Draco was dressed as a prince and he had convinced Goyle and Crabbe to dress as footmen which was actually perfect for the two. Blaise had donned a strange shimmering outfit which she presumed was from one of the more popular Wizarding books and the Carrow twins were dressed robes that matched Blaise's ensemble. She had no idea what he or the girls were but figured she would ask Draco to fill her in later.

She almost choked on her drink when she saw Nott who had dressed as a very bumbling Cornelius Fudge. She noticed two others that were keeping company with Draco. One of the Slytherins was rather tastelessly dressed as an executioner but the cloak, mask and hood kept her from guessing who he was. Based on size he was probably a fourth year, maybe Yaxley's kid. He was always hanging on Draco's coattails hoping for a social bump up. The other was a masked witch with jet black hair sitting next to him and whispering in his ear. The two looked very affectionate.

Little Red Riding Hood was one if the few stories that was shared by the magical and muggle worlds alike and the witch was dressed as Red and wearing a matching mask. Everyone else was too dense to get it but the Slytherins did and Hermione almost instantly realized it was Ginny with glamour on her hair. Hermione smiled at her little joke and walked over to join them. She sat next to Ginny and whispered in her ear.

"You look good Red, enjoying the company?"

"Give it a rest Hermione, no need to gloat...and yes, I really am."

She looked in Ginny's eyes and saw the girl was truly smitten with Draco. She hoped the ginger girl didn't get her heart broken; Ginny was one of the few people who was truly a friend to Hermione under any condition and had taken her share of abuse for it. She needed to try and protect the girl from whatever fallout there was. It was the least she could do for the one true person in this whole war.

Hermione had watched the professors and not a one caught on to Severus' ploy. He joined her about two hours into the dance and gave Hermione a nod letting her know he was successful. They were now the only two people who could apparate in and out of Hogwarts and they had full control of the wards. She enjoyed herself now that the work was over even danced with a few of the Slytherins, all of whom were very respectful of her engagement. She even got Severus up for a dance. As the night grew late she was approached by the executioner who said nothing but took her hand and lead her to the floor. She politely consented to the dance but started to balk when the executioner tried to close the space between them. She had no intention of letting some fourth year with rampant hormones cop a feel.

"I'll have you know I am taken and you best mind your manners."

The executioner pulled her hard and once she was close the masked figure whispered into her ear, "Glad to hear it love. You owe me a dance angel, now stop being so stubborn."

She fell into the embrace and held back her tears. Bella had been pardoned by the new administration but that didn't mean that she was going to be waltzing around the Wizarding world, especially Hogwarts. There was still at least four dozen staff and students at the school that would happily kill the dark witch for having the gall to show up in the school again. Bella had not only created murder and mayhem in the First Wizarding War and taken part in the raid that lead to Dumbledore's death, she blasted the Great Hall to pieces on her way out. The fact that she was willing to risk so much for Hermione amazed her.

Hermione wrapped her arms around the Bella's neck and held on tight. She could feel the eyes of most everyone in the Hall as the two danced though the next song. She knew they were wondering who she would let get that close to her but she could care less right now. After the song wrapped up Hermione led the executioner out of the party and up to her rooms. She imagined the gossip that would break out upon her departure. Once safely in her common room she pulled Bella's mask and hood off, removed her mask as well and captured her lips. The dark twisted costume only served to make Hermione want the witch even more. She pushed the executioner down into one of the chairs and straddled her never losing contact with her lips in the process.

Bella pulled her tight and let her hands roam down Hermione's body. Bella pulled off Hermione's dress and was happy to see she wasn't wearing a bra. As she claimed a nipple with her mouth she ripped her panties off of her. The burn from the friction would leave a mark but it felt good and Hermione bucked on Bella's lap. Hermione loved the feel of Bellatrix's leather pants against her naked body and felt herself dripping. Bella ran her hand up Hermione's thigh and thrust into her without warning. Hermione's head fell back as she moaned in pleasure at the unexpected but welcome intrusion. Bella kept her hand still within her frustrating Hermione.

"You want this angel? You need to work for it."

Hermione placed her hands on the chair behind Bella and began to slowly ride her grinding as much of her body against her as she could. Bella was captivated by the Hermione's beauty as she rhythmically worked her body against her. As Hermione started to pick up her pace Bella matched her movements with her hand. She moved her thumb to her nub to add to friction and watched as Hermione climaxed and frantically rode out her orgasm. Hermione eventually lost her ability to stay upright and collapsed against her. Bella waited a minute before reclaiming her hand as she enjoyed the feeling of the aftershocks going through her lover's body.

They sat entwined in the chair, panting to catch their breath and Bella began to stroke her lover's back while Hermione recovered. Hermione's sudden disappearance did garner some attention as a group of the Slytherins led by Ginny and Draco walked in as the two were exchanging kisses. Bella had the sense to wandlessly summon her cloak and wrap it around Hermione as everyone's mouth hung open with surprise at the sight before them. Hermione had assumed Draco knew who was in his entourage that evening but it turned out he had no idea who the executioner was either. He had followed them up to find out.

"Lovely to see you again nephew, nice digs."

Draco looked pale, "Aunt Bella...uh...uh..I didn't expect you here. We were just umm..."

Hermione filled the last part in for him, "they were just being nosy. Come on baby I don't know how long you are here but I plan to take advantage full advantage of it."

She got up wrapped only in the cloak and headed to her room with her Death Eater in tow.

The next morning they came down to find Ginny and Draco having breakfast. They must have ordered it from the elves. Being in power did come with privileges, and the elves were all too happy to serve. Hermione winked at Ginny as she and Bella sat down to join them. Ginny spent the first few minutes incredibly wary of Bellatrix but eventually calmed down and the four had a lovely breakfast. Ginny had grown comfortable around the Slytherins and was now breaking bread with the most notorious Death Eater in history. Hermione's plan was working well. Of course how could it fail, it worked perfectly on her.


	14. Chapter 14

Dark Effects

Chapter 14

Ginny started spending more time with Draco, once again sneaking about to see him. Harry had fortunately left her the Maurader's Map as a breakup gift and she was making significant use of it now. The toll of trying to live a double life was affecting the girl as Hermione expected and Ginny started opening up to Draco and herself. It started with little things, gripes about bunkmates and annoyance with her family but it was evolving into more as her relationship with the pureblood prince grew.

Ginny was spending more time in their common room than her own. The holidays were coming and Ginny spent the night before crying to Draco and Hermione about having to go home. She was becoming more and more distant with her family and friends and her frequent absences were noticed. Word had gotten back to the Weasley family and her mother had started owling her regularly claiming to be concerned about her. Hermione knew that Molly had envisioned her daughter married to the chosen one and was taking the break up harder than Ginny. She was writing to remind her not to give up and to stay faithful. After all, he was out saving the world.

Hermione snorted at that thought. The only thing Harry had saved was his own ass and it was by gumption and pure dumb blind luck. Right after the wedding they had gotten into a duel with Dolohov and Rowle at some coffee shop and managed to escape by the skin of their teeth. They ended up at Grimmauld Place two weeks later and triggered the alarms Hermione and Bella had set. Once again Dolohov and Rowle ended up on the call and this time the two Death Eaters were defeated with Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder. Bella told her the Dark Lord laid into Antonin and Thorfinn something fierce after that little fiasco. Apparently Antonin's post Cruciatus twitches were back. Hermione felt a bit bad for the rather creepy Death Eater, he had started to grow on her and she was the one who put the powder in the Harry's backpack along with a litany of potions, powders and cures.

Once again she was responsible for the survival of Harry and Ron and once again they were clueless. She had no idea where the two were staying now but they had sufficient supplies to last months on the run if they could figure out how to use them. They hadn't found a single Horcrux and seemed to be wandering about aimlessly.

They finally made a move for the cup and necklace stored in the vaults. They had been captured in a break at Gringotts on Halloween. Harry and Ron had been polyjuiced as none other than Dolohov and Rowle but had been revealed by the safety features of the bank before they reached the vaults. They were apprehended by bank security but fortunately a goblin named Griphook had come to the rescue and helped free them before the Aurors came to bring them in.

Griphook's wanted poster now hung next to Harry and Ron's. Hermione was glad they were at least trying to get to the Horcruxes and was impressed they thought of polyjuice potion.

She had no idea how they had made it until she heard they reappeared in Godric's Hollow in early November and fell right into a trap set by the Dark Lord. They were traveling with Dirk Cresswell, Dean Thomas and Ted Tonks who were on the run from the snatchers. Dean Thomas was skilled enough to make the potion and if Harry and Ron were desperate and lost enough they would have accepted their help.

She figured Dean would add the necessary brains to keep the two alive but he must have been overruled on going to Godric's Hollow. She wondered why Andromeda wasn't with Ted but it didn't matter now. Godric's Hallow was one of Harry's greatest follies. Nagini had done a bit of acting, possessing the body of Bathilda Bagshot and ended up alone with Harry. She didn't get Harry but when the other four came running up the stairs to save the boy-who-lived-to-never-think-any-plan-through she managed to bite Ted and Dirk and thrashed Dean about quite a bit. Dirk and Ted died and Dean was picked up by the snatchers. He was healed so he could be interrogated and then shipped off to Azkaban.

She wondered how many traps Harry would have to walk into before he would learn to look before he leapt. Keeping score Hermione noted that Harry had defeated one Horcrux, the diary and she was the reason he even knew where to look. Dumbledore had taken out the ring, and Hermione and Severus had identified and located all of the others and had collected the necklace and the diadem. They had Nagini close and were in perfect position to take her out when the time came. All they had left was the Hufflepuff Cup which Bellatrix was holding. Hermione and Severus were still working on a plan to get a hold of it without her knowing. They had tossed around different plans and finally settled on having them bring the cup out of Gringotts. If all went well the cup would be within easy reach within a matter of weeks.

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Hermione and Draco stepped off the train and were greeted by a contingent of Death Eaters led by Bella and Lucius. They were making it clear for every student and parent to see that this was the next generation in the Dark Lord's reign. Bella welcomed Hermione home a kiss while Narcissa doted on Draco. They unloaded their trunks and apparated back to the Castle. They only had two weeks and the Dark Lord wanted Draco close to help plan. They knew the easiest place to draw Harry out was Hogwarts and the final battle would probably take place before the end of school. The Malfoys were given suites for their use in Hermione's wing for the holiday. Hermione was happy to have them there as she was dreading doing Christmas alone.

The down side was the Christmas Ball was taking place at the Castle this year and between party planning and world domination plotting her home was a flurry of nonstop activity. She retreated to her rooms when she could and spent as much time with Bella as possible. It was hard being away from her beautiful fiancé but even harder knowing that when this was over with Bella would probably hate her. She would at least find out the story with Minerva McGonagall as the professor had RSVP'd that she was attending for the first time in decades.

Bella was up to something and she wasn't sure what but she thought it might be a formal proposal. She knew she would accept and it killed her knowing their plans were going to come to fruition. The time to strike was coming and everyday it became a little bit harder to do. Her life was fantastic. She had money, respect, power and a beautiful lover. All of her dreams had come true at the small cost of her soul and the more time she spent with in this war she wasn't sure either side had them anymore.

She could tell Severus was having the same doubts she was. He had spent his whole life being abused by the 'good guys' and protected by the 'bad guy's and he didn't fancy opening himself up to snide remarks and taunts at best and more likely being hunted by the ministry. They had danced around the subject but they needed to make plans for their escape as neither one had any desire to see the inside of Azkaban. They would kill the Dark Lord and then need to disappear off the face of the earth. She knew why they avoided it, because the conversation would inevitably go to the option of staying put and living the lie.

Hermione spent the first few days of the holiday with the Inner Circle plotting how to catch Harry and Ron. She waited until everyone was frustrated and arguing the same points ad nauseum to finally pitch her idea.

"Let's lure him to Hogwarts and take the school when we take him."

The table broke out in groans and Peter once again took the opportunity to try and take the girl down a peg, "We have already discussed this Granger, exactly how do we get them there? You're supposed to be the brain; you should have something more to offer than restating the obvious,"

His challenge was perfect it made the next part so much sweeter and this was going to save them a heist attempt, "actually it's Crouch, Hermione Malfoy Crouch and I have more to offer than playing Captain Obvious, I have a plan. My Lord I don't know that you want me to say the details here."

Voldemort knew what she was going to say and nodded his approval, "Potter already knows, go ahead and tell them your plan."

"Potter is after the Dark Lord's Horcruxes" the table was stunned by this information, all of them knowing how powerful and dark the magic was. "We have three that are directly related to Hogwarts in our possession Salazar Slytherin's locket, Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem and Helga Hufflepuff's cup. We also have Godric Gryffindor's sword in storage. I say it's time for Hogwarts to celebrate its roots. Hogwarts was established in 990 but the founders spent the first few years picking their favorites to study under them and the whole process was muddled and wrought with conflict. In 998 there was a huge fight during the school year between Salazar and Rowena who were both trying to poach certain students from each other. During the first semester they created the sorting hat, each using a bit of their brains to make it and they formally created the houses to sort the students into."

She looked around the room and saw that only the Dark Lord knew this information. He clearly was also a fan of Hogwarts: a History. She continued on, "A rule was created that once a student was sorted they could only switch houses under extraordinary circumstances. In the thousand years that have passed only five students have ever been switched out of a house. Three happened all before 1800 and were due to romantic relationships gone awry where the aftermath of the break ups had become violent. In the last two hundred years there have been two, Dumbledore who was switched from Slytherin to Gryffindor due to being caught in one particular roommates bunk one too many times and me for the obvious reasons. I say that we use them as bait. Only we know they are in our possession, we bring them to Hogwarts and make sure they know they are there. Word is Harry is looking for school related items. We let them see them and Harry will come running to us."

Pettigrew wasn't giving up, "How will we tell them? And how do we get them to fall for an obvious trap?"

She could not wait for the day she got to kill the little worm, "We are going to announce it in the Prophet you dunce. As far as Potter walking into a trap goes I am not worried. So far he has chased after the Dark Lord as a first year, pursued him into the Chamber of Secrets second year, went after Sirius and a werewolf during out third while falling for your bullshit I might add, was baited in fourth to compete in a tournament he knew was a trap, again ran headlong into an obvious trap fifth year and stopped by two of the most obvious places to not go in Grimmauld Place and Godric's Hollow while on the run. We could have the headline for the story read THIS IS A TRAP FOR POTTER and he would still come running. He is convinced his destiny is to defeat the Dark Lord. If he were a bit smarter he might have figured out the only thing he is truly destined for is death. We can finish this war at a millennial ball. I think it would be fitting to finish at Hogwarts a feud started there by Godric and Salazar. What better way to celebrate their legacy then bringing their war home."

Voldemort laughed at her statement "I knew you would be worth it Hermione, I am glad you are on my side. Not another word Peter! Hermione, plan me a ball. Whatever resources you need are yours."

"Thank you my Lord" she whispered and she bowed her head to him. This was going to be a party for the centuries no matter what happened.

The next day the Daily Prophet ran a full page spread on the celebratory spring ball at Hogwarts. Pictures of all of the Horcruxes and the sword were included. She had told the Dark Lord that Harry believed the Horcruxes were school related, but she didn't tell him how he knew. She had said that Dumbledore suspected him of using school artifacts. Hermione's note to Harry should be enough for him to realize these were the objects he needed. The Dark Lord would be there with Nagini in tow. Once Harry arrived all of the Horcruxes would be together.

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She was bored. Dreadfully, painfully bored. The Christmas ball was a massive event as ministers and envoys from numerous countries attended to try and gain favor with the new regime. Hermione spent the evening shaking hands and exchanging polite pleasantries with diplomats and kiss ups of all shapes and kinds. She was growing tired of trite conversations and meaningless niceties.

She was stuck in a long conversation on galleon to euro exchange rates with some undersecretary of the something or other when Bellatrix came by and snatched her glass of wine. She shoved it into the windbag's hand and grabbed Hermione dragging her out a set of French doors into the gardens. They were in an enclave right outside the ball barely covered by bushes. The music and chatter from the party seeped out on to the patio as a reminder of where they were supposed to be.

"How are you going to be Minister of Magic when the tasks bore you so angel?"

"Bella when I am Minister the first thing I am outlawing is useless social events."

Bella pulled her in for a dance as the orchestra began to play a slow melody. As they danced around the garden she looked Hermione in the eye, "tell me my angel, did you mean it when you promised me forever?"

"Of course baby. What's going on?"

Bella smiled at her and softly kissed her before walking back to the party. She looked back at Hermione as she opened the door, "you will see soon my dark angel."

Hermione followed her in and went to the bar to grab a drink. She was surprised to find a rather tipsy Minerva McGonagall requesting a refill.

"Ms. Granger, just the person I was looking for."

"It's Ms. Crouch Professor, and I am surprised to see you tonight."

"Of course….Ms. Crouch, although I normally decline I made an exception. This year after seeing the new celebration plans in the Prophet, I decided to come. Your idea I assume?"

Hermione walked around the bar to the dismay of the elves tending to drinks. She grabbed a bottle of Firewhiskey, two glasses and a bucket of ice. She motion for the Gryffindor head to follow her and led her to her study.

"You wanted to talk Professor, let's talk. Why do I owe you one right now?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about Hermione."

"My animagus, you never told anyone in the Order. Why?"

"Dumbledore made me promise not to reveal it, but he didn't quite see all this did he? He didn't see you taking Bellatrix Black as a lover, being best friends with Draco Malfoy, leading soldiers through the Ministry. Or did he? My turn to ask questions. You killed Moody, Sirius and Remus didn't you?"

"Yes Professor I did."

"For tonight you can call me Minerva, pour me another and tell me what they did."

"They killed my parents and raped and murdered my girlfriend." she poured them both two fingers and passed Minerva a glass.

"Surely not Remus?"

"No, not Remus. Remus was in the wrong place at the wrong time and paid the price for it. He didn't die by my hand but I didn't try and save him. He should have kept better company. I noticed you are not surprised by the other two. You asked what they did."

"No my dear I am not surprised. As you have quickly learned, war brings out the worst in us. I was a founding Order member and I know what has been done for the greater good. I know what I have faced in my life, the things I have suffered and the dark deeds I have done all in the name of someone's cause."

"So why are you protecting me?"

"Hermione, Albus could see many angles and he always was a brilliant strategist but he always fooled himself into thinking that only the light could love and only the dark can hate. I don't know what he put you and Severus up to but he obviously lost Severus and I think he may have lost you both. I am here to plead with you to continue our fight."

"And I am sure there is a but there."

"Yes my dear, I know you. Don't look at me like that! I know both the dark and the light in you. I know you still protect Ginny, even if it is luring her to the dark. I know you still love your friends but are hurt by how easily they turned their backs on you. I think if the light hadn't so easily abandoned you, you wouldn't be so close to abandoning it. I am a practical woman Hermione, I have lived through wars, loved, lost and killed for my beliefs and I can read the writing on the wall. Your little Hogwarts celebration will be the final battle. Unfortunately I am confident, as I imagine you are as well, that Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley will make an appearance. I will keep your secrets Hermione but they come at a price."

"Name your terms Minerva."

"I don't have much left in my life but this school and these children. I cannot protect the muggleborns but I want to protect the rest. If you choose to fight Tom I will be by your side but if you don't I want leniency to the students that fight with Harry. We both know the dark crimes that are committed during a war especially to teenagers and my students are at the greatest risk. They should never have to suffer this fate Hermione. They should never have to know these horrors."

"You are right Minerva, I don't know what I am going to do. I promise you that either way I will try and protect the students and staff. If I see anyone unnecessarily torture or try and force themselves on a student I will hex them into the afterlife regardless of what side they are on or I am on. Anything else?"

"Yes. Disband the bloody houses! Goodnight Hermione." With that the she rose and headed back to the party.

Hermione was taken aback. She had always respected McGonagall and knowing the woman was willing to hedge her bets to save her students only served to raise her opinion of her former head of house.

She grabbed her glass and returned to the party to find her lover.


	15. Chapter 15

Dark Effects

Chapter 15

The next day she woke to an empty bed. Bella had woken early and left Hermione a rose and a note that said only one word, "tonight." She had no idea what was going on but when she tried to find someone to tell her everyone either made themselves scarce or claimed to have no idea what was going on. She spent the morning snooping around for clues but was cut off at every corner. Even Nagini was in on the deception. The snake told her to relax and slithered off to torment the elves. She was starting to get worried when Severus found her and brought her outside for tea.

After the two settled down for a cup he broached the subject, "Tell me Hermione, do you love Bella? Did you mean it when you accepted her proposal? Do you really want to marry her? You realize she is going to be difficult to deal with if we need to bring her on the run."

"Yes, I love her. I know she will come with us if we have to run. I will find a way to get through to her."

"Then trust me. I will never let you be harmed. Don't fight what is to come tonight" with that he stalked off leaving her all the more confused and a bit frustrated.

She went to the library and curled up with a book trying to ignore the ominous sounding warning from Severus. She was trying to read the book but most of the time the words weren't sinking in. She made an effort to control her anxiety but as the hours ticked away her stomach began to knot. Mid-afternoon Narcissa came to fetch her, telling her she needed to prepare her for the evening.

"Tell me Hermione, do you love my sister? Do you want to bond with her?"

"I am seeing a theme here today. Yes Narcissa, I love her. What is this all about? Severus asked me the same thing. Is she proposing formally tonight?" she looked at Narcissa's smirk and put her head into her hands as realization dawned on her, "Jumping Jesus on a pogo stick! I am getting married today aren't I? This is why everyone is acting so insane?"

"That's up to you, but if you want my sister as your wife you need to follow me."

Hermione hesitated for a second to think things through. She loved Bellatrix. She loved her through and through, batshit crazy and hellbent on doing evil or not. She had fallen in love with the Devil's right hand. The problem was she was 18 years old and about to betray everyone, including her future wife, to save the world. She wanted to be with her and she knew she could convince Bella to choose her over the Dark Lord. She and Severus would be wanted criminals in their own right so having Bella with them wouldn't change anything. If they were bonded Bella would have no choice but to come with them. She hated to trap Bella into being with her but all's fair in love and war.

She followed Narcissa into her bathroom where the witch had drawn Hermione a bath and was now mixing strange potions into the water. Hermione decided to go with whatever was happening, stripped down and climbed in. Narcissa began to chant over the tub and then gave her a foul smelling potion to drink. Between whatever it was that she drank and the bath Hermione started to drift off to sleep. She woke up awhile later to Narcissa washing her hair. At first she felt a bit awkward having her fiancé's sister being so intimate with her but she let herself relax into Narcissa warm touch and allowed herself to enjoy the ritual.

"Not that I am complaining but why are you attending to me? Why aren't you with Bella?"

"I was doing this with her this morning. Normally the person who will present you does this ritual but Severus felt uncomfortable bathing you so he is spending the afternoon with Bella. Hermione we have discussed our rituals before, you know they are...different. This rite is an ancient rite that will bond you together and it is very different from the standard wedding. You know we are more open about our sexuality, this is going to be one of those ceremonies."

"Oh God, this isn't a revel is it?"

Narcissa giggled at Hermione's panic stricken face, "No Hermione, those may come in time. The only person you will be with tonight is Bella. The ceremony itself will just be very...open."

Narcissa couldn't look her in the eye which only made Hermione more concerned. "Ok, so you said. I think you need to tell me what the hell I am signing up for!"

Three hours later Narcissa lead a very shy bride to her wedding. Hermione was clothed in practically transparent red robes and walked barefoot through the grass towards where the others were gathered. Narcissa had taken her by side along apparition to the site. When Hermione saw where she was she closed her eyes and rubbed them hoping when she opened them the site would have changed. It didn't. She had agreed to be Bella's wife, and she had reluctantly agreed that she would do this ceremony but there was no way she was doing it here. This had to be a joke.

"Narcissa you told me that we were going to a site of great magical importance. This is the place?"

"This is the one of the strongest sources for earth magic in England. Don't worry, no one will come here tonight, it is heavily warded for the evening."

"I can't bloody believe this. This is not at all what I was expecting!"

"Relax Hermione, you will be fine. Once we start you won't care."

Severus approached telling them it was time. He took Hermione's arm and Narcissa went to where everyone was gathered to stand with her sister. As they walked towards the rock circle Hermione whispered to Severus, "You could have mentioned I was going to be doing a freaky sex ritual in the middle of bloody Stonehenge! Seriously, if my naked ass ends up in some Yankee tourist's vacation album I am going to kill you. Honestly…Stonehenge? Cliché much? "

The Death Eaters were in full uniforms including masks and formed a ring around an alter set in the center. Narcissa had donned a black hooded cloak as well and stood with Bellatrix who was also dressed in red. The Dark Lord stood behind the altar in bright purple robes and was preparing a potion in a cauldron with Bellatrix's help. She looked to Severus for an explanation as the approached the strange display.

"The black is darkness, but not just symbolizing dark magics. All life comes for the dark and returns to the dark as well. That is the course of Nature and all things within her realm. The red you wear symbolizes your blood bond. The purple robes signify the authority of a priest or king which is necessary to form the bond. The potion is blood magic and you will both be adding your own to it."

When they reached the altar the Dark Lord acknowledged them and began the ritual.

"Who presents the Petitioner?"

"My Lord, I, Narcissa Black Malfoy, present Bellatrix Black as the Petitioner. She is of pureblood and ancient lines and she is a worthy suitor who requests your blessings."

"Who presents the Respondent?"

"My Lord, I, Severus Tobias Snape, present Hermione Malfoy Crouch as the Respondent. She is of pureblood and ancient lines and is a worthy bride who requests your blessings."

"I find both women worthy of this bond and my blessings."

Bellatrix took Hermione by her arm as Severus handed her off and the two stood before the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord began to chant in a language Hermione has never heard. When he was finished he produced a small ceremonial dagger and turned to address Bellatrix.

"Do you Bellatrix Black claim Hermione Crouch as your own?"

"I do."

"Do you Hermione Crouch accept this claim?"

"I do."

He put a small slice into each of their palms and allowed the blood to run into the potion. They then joined their hands as he continued. He poured a glass of the potion and handed it to each of them and spoke as they drank their glasses.

"From life comes love, and from love shall come life-all things are born of the dark - this bond shall be eternal."

He used a red silk sash to bind their hands together and then stepped away from the altar. Hermione knew what was to come and allowed herself to be pushed on to the altar by Bella who followed, lying atop Hermione. Bella pinned their bound hands above Hermione's head giving her leverage to look down into her wife's eyes. She used her free hand to pull their robes open. Bella leaned in and softly kissed Hermione knowing she was still afraid and embarrassed by this ceremony. The circle began to chant as the two deepened their kiss.

"Uin yelt nost maile, uin mor nost mel, uin mel nost coia. Oira gwedn."

Hermione lost herself in Bella as the chant became stronger and louder. Their bodies began to glow as they exchanged their vows with hands and lips. Colors and light engulfed them and she could feel the forces around her and throughout her body. She knew it was Bella loving her, their souls were entwining while they exchanged their dark vows. A dark glow engulfed Bella and she felt herself being entered by this force. It was Bella's life force and magic claiming her. They began an ancient dance as the participants continued to chant around them. She matched her wife's thrusts, wrapping one of her legs and her free hand around her lover to pull her closer and encourage her to increase her pace.

The light became blinding as they reached their climax and collapsed against each other. The attendees approached as they lay on the altar recovering from the bond. Each one would prick their finger with the dagger and put a drop of their blood on the sash binding the two witch's hands still. As they would smear the blood they would take the oath "vare gwedn". Hermione didn't know what the rest of the chant meant but vare gwedn meant 'protect the bond'. The families that were present had been tied together for generations and at each marriage this oath was given. They were taking an oath to protect them. Hermione understood why the Slytherins seemed so tight knit. They pledged loyalty to each other and their families. They were all bound by blood which helped influence their pureblood beliefs.

She was no longer embarrassed. After such an intimate ceremony all she felt was a sense of belonging, of love and of camaraderie. She looked into the eyes of her lover and uttered the one word she never thought she would say when she started this mission, "wife".

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She spent the few remaining days of the holidays on a mini honeymoon with her wife. They stayed in a Crouch villa located in Tuscany and spent most of their days in bed as all newlyweds tend to do. The Daily Prophet ran an announcement of their bonding and Hermione's name was officially changed. She never cared for Crouch as a name (or the Crouch family for that matter) and was all too happy to be Hermione Black.

It was her last day before she needed to return to Hogwarts. She was lying in bed, enjoying the warmth of the afternoon sun streaking through the window. She was resting her head on Bella's stomach as her lover slept staring at her ring. The silver band was simple and beautiful. Oira Gwedn was etched along the surface. Eternal Bond. She was married. She turned and propped herself up on her elbows to look at her dozing lover. She began to feather her stomach with kisses and nibbles feeling her wife begin to rouse as her tongue dipped into her bellybutton. She smirked as Bella moaned and wrapped her hands into her hair urging her lower. She fought against her direction and took her time covering every inch of her abdomen and then began to slowly nuzzle her curls. Bellatrix bucked as Hermione began to taste her and nipped her lips causing her to curse.

"Fuck baby, so good. Please angel, I need your tongue inside me. Please. Oh fuck there. Uh…right there."

Hermione smiled as she buried her tongue deeper into her. Bella began to grind against her mouth and Hermione slipped two fingers into her while capturing her clit. She began thrusting at a steady pace while sucking and nibbling on Bella's nub. Bella began to shake as her tongue kept pace with her fingers and Hermione held her tight as Bella writhed under her touch as wave after wave hit her. She stayed inside her as she pulled herself up to capture Bella's mouth. Bella moaned at the taste of herself on Hermione's lips and Hermione responded by her curling her fingers and pounding against Bella's g-spot each thrust driving her wife closer to a second orgasm.

"I love you baby, I want you to look at me. Look at me and tell me you love me."

"Oh god, I love you angel…I love you."

"Come for me Bella."

Hermione allowed tears to fall as she watched the beautiful witch climax again. She had no idea how she had gotten so lucky but as Bella curled into her arms she thanked the fates for bringing her here. She had no idea how she was going to make it being alone in school but she swore to herself that once this battle was over they would never separate again.

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Returning to Hogwarts was difficult but Hermione had a battle to plan and a party to decorate for. The Horcruxes were to be put on display in March so she had less than two months to prepare for what would most likely be the final battle in this war. She had thought she had seen everything but her treatment upon her return to Hogwarts was astounding. Students literally parted way for her when she walked down the hall out of awe or fear depending on their side of the war. On her first day back to class McGonagall gave her a knowing look. She knew that her teacher and former mentor doubted her return to the light, but she was more confident than ever. Now that Bellatrix was her wife she might be able to keep her even if she defeated the Dark Lord.

Ginny's vacation had not gone well. The rumors of her dating a Slytherin had made it back home and she spent the break being berated by Molly and Arthur and several Weasley boys. When she wasn't' being analyzed and interrogated she was generally bored as the Order were still refusing to let participate because she was still in school and she spent most of the break hiding in her room or working on her flying. She never admitted to dating a Slytherin but as she left to go back to school Molly told her she would need to choose her side of the war.

It was the second night of school and Ginny had snuck away to see Draco. She was livid and pacing about the common room spewing venom at her treatment by her mother.

"Why? Why do their have to be bloody sides? Why is everything black and white? The Malfoys are supposed to be these pureblooded elite villains and yet they accept us dating but my own parents who are 'open minded' and 'accepting' won't allow us to be together."

Ginny didn't know that it took Hermione intervening to get the Malfoys to accept the match. Lucius and Narcissa had their own biases and they assumed Ginny was a gold-digger and forbade Draco to date her. Hermione used her influence and relationship with Lucius and Narcissa to convince them that Ginny was genuine and a good match for Draco. It took Hermione personally vouching for the girl to get them to relent on the subject. She had started zoning out throughout Ginny's rant until the girl said something to catch her attention.

"What? I am sorry repeat that?"

"I said I am in Hermione! No one else should have to die in this war. We aren't going to win are we? The Order I mean. If there is a way to stop this without having to bury everyone I love then I want to do it, even if it means letting that bastard rule the world."

"Ginny this isn't a game or a D.A. training session. This will be a battle and it will be to the death. You realize you will be aiding the Dark Lord. What about your family? What about Harry?"

"Don't you do it too! Harry abandoned me because he thought I couldn't handle his mission. My family won't let me fight because I am too weak. You forget I spent a year with Tom Riddle living inside me. I lived with his desires and his hate and I committed his crimes. I fought at the Ministry and I fought at the battle here. I may not have killed yet but I know I can fight. Harry chose his fate and chose to fight, but everyone around him is dying. And the Order, the bloody Order, what the hell have any of them done? Dumbledore used us as chess pieces and then got himself killed. Neville died fighting his parents' war and he is not the only one. We are the ones fighting this war and I don't want to die on the opposite side of the man I love. Hermione, this isn't my war. The only muggleborn I was friends with was you and you were the first one I met. I don't want to be evil and I am not embracing the dark side. I want to find a way to keep the D.A. out of this. If there is a way to prevent people from dying in this battle I am in."

Hermione held back her smile but in her head she did a victory dance. "Very well, I know your good with a wand but that's not what I need. I need intel. I want to know what's going on with the D.A. and anything regarding Harry."

"They aren't fans of mine right now the rumors are too rampant about my dating a Slytherin."

"Ginny if there is one thing I learned it's that Gryffindors have the emotional depth of a teaspoon and are easily swayed."

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The next week Hermione, Draco and a small pack of Slytherins isolated a couple of first year Hufflepuffs to torment in the Great Hall. Ginny leaped the table and had her wand at Hermione before the professors or students could even get up to interfere. The stunt had earned both women a week with Filch and Ginny the respect of her house again. She may be dark but she was fierce in battle and the D.A. needed her.

She began to regularly attend the meetings and her already hidden relationship with Draco became extraordinarily clandestine. Hermione now had numbers and locations of the D.A. She knew when they met and which ones were passionate versus which ones were playing war. Hermione may have become a pureblood Slytherin but she started as a muggleborn Gryffindor and had read many of her father's books growing up. He was a huge spy novel buff and had quite a few nonfiction books on the tactics of various intelligence agencies during the various muggle wars. Being a swot in all aspect of her life, she also had read SunTzu, Spinoza and Machiavelli. Hermione began a counter-intelligence campaign against the D.A. right out of the textbooks of MI-6 and the C.I.A.

The Slytherins slowly started working at reducing their ranks by turning the members to their side or against each other. Nott had started to date Padma Patil angering her then boyfriend Seamus Finnigan. The Gryffindors, never being known for doing anything small, had made it a house thing and wanted her expelled from the D.A. for dating a Slytherin. The Ravenclaws were not nearly as divided on houses as the Gryffindors were and stood up for Padma. The result was a rift between the Gryffindor and Ravenclaws which started fracturing the D.A. The Hufflepuffs were trying to stay out of the way but the tensions were running high and meetings were filled with arguments and fights. A note had been 'dropped' that made it appear that Cho was cheating on Michael Corner causing a riff within Ravenclaw. Romilda Vane's bracelet disappeared and reappeared in Lavender Brown's belongings thanks to a little sleight of hand skill by Ginny. The redhead hated both girls and their cliques and creating a riff between the snotty girls was an opportunity she couldn't resist.

By the end of January, Hermione had fractured the D.A. and was being helped by an unlikely source. Minerva had lost faith in the Order's ability to win and was helping suppress the would-be army. She didn't want the dark to win but she didn't believe that children should have to die in their parents wars. If the Order couldn't rally enough adult allies to make a defense then she would cede the school before she buried the student body of it. A rebellion can always happen later but if all of the light were killed off as children there would be no one left to fight. She knew the D.A. weren't strong enough to defeat trained Aurors, Snatchers and Death Eaters.

She was cutting Hermione some slack as to her work and Hermione needed it. The plotting, scheming and general havoc reeking were getting to her and she was starting to become absentminded. All the work was obviously costing her serious calories and she was constantly tired and hungry. She didn't have time to sleep more but she had started eating more and had developed a bit of a sweet tooth. She knew she was going to end up gaining a little weight but she figured she could start a diet right after the last battle. Minerva knew the witch was going through a bit and she wanted to make sure Hermione kept up her end of the promise so she allowed her freedom to roam the castle as needed.

Hermione knew that public relations were the key to any good campaign. It didn't matter what you did, all people paid attention to was what you said. They could be the most evil government in the history of the world but as long as the talked about values, tradition and family they would get a pass. People needed to feel safe, not actually be safe, to be happy. The Slytherins were under orders to be nice and provide protection to not only anyone who aligned themselves with the Dark Lord but to anyone who remained neutral.

Minerva McGonagall wasn't the only professor that was worried about the students fighting a war and they were happy to see that the 'dark' was offering a respite to those who just didn't want to fight. A majority of the professors were actively trying to prevent D. A. recruiting to try and keep the students safe. The staff crack downs and the aggressive tactics under Hermione's direction were working and the D.A. was only a shell of itself. The coup de grace is when Severus ordered the Carrows to stop their dreadful punishments. The school was almost unanimously grateful to a man they all loathed and by Valentine's Day she had almost completely undermined the resistance within the school.


	16. Chapter 16

Dark Effects

Chapter 16

Bellatrix made an appearance on Valentine's Day. Hermione returned from her classes to find her common room draped in silk and covered in candles. In the center was a blanket covered with pillows and a picnic basket. The two spent the night feeding each other finger foods and exchanging kisses. Bella had bribed Draco to spend the night in the Slytherin dorms so she could woo Hermione a bit. They made love by the fire and talked well into the night. Hermione knew it was completely cheesy and clichéd but no one had ever done these sorts of things for her before. She was madly in love and to her it was the greatest gesture anyone had ever made. As the two parted, Bella swore to her that no matter what happened, when this battle was over the two would never be parted again.

The time leading up to the millennial ball was hectic as Hermione tried to fully plan both a party and Armageddon. Between the upcoming battle and studying for N.E. she was working on only a few hours a night of sleep per night. The intensity of the situation had begun to take its toll on her body as well as her emotions. She had become moody and was now tired all of the time. At this point she couldn't wait for the battle if only because she would either be able to sleep afterwards or be dead and not care.

To make matters worse the other side had managed to slip some kind of poison to her. A few days after Valentine's she became violently ill losing her dinner only minutes after eating it. The next few days she had more of the same and she couldn't ignore the problem anymore. She didn't trust Madam Pomfrey who heavily sympathized with the Order and had run diagnostic spells on herself but couldn't find anything wrong. She finally went to Severus who performed a few additional spells and several blood tests.

He did some research and informed her that it was some sort of poison that must have been slipped in her food. He told her he would work on a cure but gave her a potion to suppress the symptoms which she needed to take every morning. She had learned quickly not to miss a dose after forgetting it one day. The nausea was back by lunch and Hermione had to leave the Great Hall at dinner because they decided to serve fish and chips and the smell of the haddock was killing her. She couldn't wait until Severus found a cure for the bloody poison and when she found out who did it to her she was going to kill them.

Severus and Hermione had been focusing on planning the final battle so they could escape no matter how they chose to play it out. They would have access to all of the Horcruxes when the time came and they could take them all out literally in minutes if need be. The wards were set to be able to isolate and shield areas of the school. Severus had already decreed that all students fifth year and younger would not be allowed to attend the ball and must be in their dormitories well before the party began.

Among the many tweaks he made to the wards: strengthening the wards on the houses to provide some safety for the students, being able to drop wards on the inside keeping the students in and away from the battle and the combatants out. Severus and Hermione wanted to save as many students as possible no matter how this war turned out and Hermione had a promise to keep to Minerva McGonagall.

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"It will work, we can do this! If Ginny and the D.A. stand guard we can make it through the one-eyed witch passage in Honeyduke's. Ginny said the Death Eaters and Aurors will be primarily guarding the outside of the building and patrolling the halls around the Great Hall. We will come in on the third floor and go down to get to the Horcruxes."

"Harry, I don't like putting Ginny in this situation. She shouldn't be in the crossfire."

"I am sorry Mr. Wesley but she is all we got. George and Fred got a letter from Lee saying the D.A. is completely splintered and that we can't trust anyone. We cannot count on anyone in the building but Ginny. She will know who is still on our side and who has turned. Ginny's letter warned that the Dark Lord has numerous sympathizers and spies all over the school. Hermione has turned half of the school traitor and now no one will fight."

Harry and Ron had gone back to the Weasley's for help. The remaining Order members had organized themselves for a last stand and were gathered at a safe house in Surrey to plan a final attack.

"Yes but Ginny wrote that letter warning us not to come. She specifically said it was a trap and we shouldn't go. Harry I don't understand why we have to go to the school...especially now." Arthur pleaded.

"I can't tell you why we are doing it, Professor Dumbledore made me swear not to tell anyone but the key to winning the war is in the school and the things we need will be altogether in one place on that night. This is it, once the ball is over we will lose our chance. The fate of the light lies in our hands. I am destined to do this and this is the night to make our stand. I know it will be dangerous and I understand if you don't want to go. I know Ginny warned us but she doesn't understand what's at stake, she doesn't know how strong we can be. She has no idea what's really going on. She has been surrounded by Death Eaters for months and has lost faith in us. We can do this. We must do this!"

Arthur leaned his head against the wall. He didn't want to go to war now, he didn't want to send his children into battle but he knew if the light was to prevail he had to have faith in Harry. Albus Dumbledore was a brilliant man and he was sure that the man had planned for this and had something clever in place to protect them.

"Alright Harry tell us your plan."

"The letter from Ginny was a warning yes but she gave us information we can use. There will be dementors in the sky so we can't fly in and there will be patrols throughout the grounds and Hogsmede. We found a solution, we can apparate straight into Honeyduke's. Smith, you're up."

Thomas Smith, an older wizard who had recently joined the order stood to address the room, "I spoke to Honeyduke, and he said he would drop the wards on the store room for an hour starting at half past seven. Are you sure about this entrance Harry? What about Hermione Black."

"I have used it before and I don't think Hermione will expect us to be able to use the entrance. Hogsmead has been shut down completely by Death Eaters and you can't get within fifty feet without setting off alarms. If Honeyduke wasn't helping us we wouldn't have a chance. He was neutral until the raid on the Ministry. One of the Death Eaters killed his brother. He was killed in Arthur's office actually. He must have been trying to defend it and they hit him with a slicing hex. No one knows he is helping us and they will never see us coming."

He looked around the magically expanded room. Upon seeing that the five dozen or so wizard and witches were listening and still with him, he continued with his plan. "The sound of us apparating in would draw the guards. We go in two groups one is going to be a small group to create a distraction. The will apparate in and out setting off some special fireworks from the Weasley twins and will carry out a set of blitz attacks. The noise will cover us apparating in and we will make it look like a failed attack on Hogsmead. The group that initiates the attack on Hogsmeade will apparate in to join the rest of us toward the end of the attack. We will go through the passage to the third floor and immediately go into the Room of Requirements. As soon as we are through, Honeyduke will raise his wards again. They will check the shop but everything will look acceptable. Snape might send Death Eaters to check the One Eyed Witch entrance and the Whomping Willow but we will already be safely hidden and undetectable in the R.O.R."

"Can't they just find us there?" Someone in the back yelled out.

"No. The Room is loyal to the students of Hogwarts and serves to protect them so it will recognize us and hide us from the Death Eaters and not reveal its doors to anyone hostile, even to Snape. It hid us from Umbridge, it will definitely keep him away. Once they establish that there is no one inside the castle they will reinforce the perimeter which will reduce the forces we are facing. We wait in the room until around eleven. They will be making speeches and wrapping up. We will split into different teams. Ron and I will assign you the groups after we finish. The Charlie, Delta, Gamma and Epsilon teams will be taking various strongholds in the castle drawing as many Death Eaters away from the Great Hall as possible. The Alpha and Beta teams will be directly raiding the Hall. Remember the idea is to create a distraction, not to win the hall. When we take the inside we can lock the school down in certain areas protecting against any reinforcements they might send and begin to slowly seize the school as a whole. When I finish my mission Voldemort will be completely vulnerable. I will be able to defeat him in battle. Ron has planned the Hogsmeade attack and will coordinate with the wizards manning that part of the battle. I will write to Ginny and have her prepare whatever students we know are trustworthy for the fight. Everyone line up so we can assign you to your groups."

Harry spent the night working out the details of the various team plans and sorting out the wizards. He knew this idea would work. Hermione's was a swot and a brainiac not a warrior. She never really excelled at battle and she was underestimating them. He hadn't told anyone, even Ron, but he was hoping he would get a chance to fight her. Everyone knew she was responsible for Sirius, Tonks, Moody and Lupin's deaths and he wanted to be the one to avenge his godfather. In one weeks' time they would be toe to toe on the battlefield and then everyone would see that reciting archaic tomes didn't mean anything in the real world.

That night he wrote a letter to Ginny telling her to gather whatever students she could to aid in the attack. He sent it using the Weasley owl Errol. He sent it with a package of sweets and a hand knit scarf from Molly so everyone would assume she was the sender and leave it alone.

He knew this was dangerous but this was the only way to get to Voldemort.

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It was the day of the Millennial Ball and Hermione was making final preparations for the upcoming battle. She knew how risky their plan was and to get enough soldiers to effectively keep Hogwarts required a significant shift in troops. The Dark Lord was not going to leave his Horcruxes there without significant protection and they would be putting all of their eggs in one basket so to speak. If the Order had a lick of sense they would attack the numerous targets that would be left with minimal guards since almost all of the troops were being diverted to Hogwarts, Hogsmeade and the surrounding areas. The good news is Harry was convinced his destiny was to face Voldemort in Hogwarts.

For their plan to work they needed all of the Horcruxes together in one place and Harry in his rashness would play right into to it. If Ron was less hot headed and could apply his chess skills to real life he would have realized that they didn't need to kill the Dark Lord to win. You don't play chess against the king, the trick is dealing with the rest of the pieces on the board which protect the king and are for more versatile in their movement. Harry and Ron were dismissing the Death Eaters as one dimensional thugs.

She never could understand how the collective minds of the light, some of whom were the brightest students to ever grace the halls of Hogwarts, left the planning of an entire war and the lives of hundreds of people to two seventeen year old boys. She was considered the brains of the trio and she wasn't sitting here dictating the troop movements. She might have come up with the idea but she was relying on Aurors and Death Eaters with significant experience and training to help make a tactical plan.

They had set up multiple patrols of Hogsmeade and a complex alarm system had been added to protect the area. She had two guards in the Shrieking Shack and had two guards covering the One Eyed Witch passage. The Death Eaters would be patrolling the halls and standing guard around the Horcruxes. The Snatchers, Aurors, werewolves and vampires were patrolling the grounds and the dementors had the skies well covered. All of the younger students were going to be locked up and warded into their dorms. Hermione wanted to minimize the students caught in the crossfire and a majority of the students would be safe and secure. The castle was virtually impenetrable.

Severus called her into the office to finalize plans. She wasn't looking forward to this conversation. They had waited long enough, they needed to decide.

She sighed and began the dreaded debate, "We can do this Severus, we can take out the Dark Lord and ride off happily into the sunset. You know we can."

"We can but we won't. I don't want to spend my life on the run and say we don't run. Say we come clean and stick it out. What if we are pardoned? What then? The world will always hate us. The Order knew I was a spy and you saw how the treated me, that is nothing compared to what we will face after this war. Do you think they will let Bellatrix go? They will kill your wife. Option two is living a life always looking over our shoulders. I don't want to have to worry that I will walk down the street and be recognized, I don't want to go backwards Hermione. You saw some of my memories, do you know how I grew up? I was beaten daily by my drunken mudblood father who hated my mother once he discovered her magic. We were poor, so poor I couldn't even afford second hand robes. The Weasleys were rich compared to us. You would think it was the Slytherins that made fun of me, the pureblooded elite, but they were the only ones in the school that didn't. Potter and Black were merciless and the professors stood by and did nothing. Even that mutt Lupin would mock me at every turn. I have no intention of going back to being a punch line. Tell me you aren't happier now than you have ever been. Now that you are sitting on the other side of the fence it isn't what you expected is it. They are warm and loving and you feel like you belong for the first time in your life. We stay!"

She expected this, "I don't get a say?"

He stood up, walked over to her chair and knelt before her, "Hermione, I am sorry. You are the family I never had and I love you but I knew you were torn as did Bellatrix and the Dark Lord. You have a choice but you will choose us. In a way I guess we did take it away but we did it because we love you and don't want to lose you."

"The wedding...that's why it was moved up suddenly. You wanted to make sure I stayed. How do you know I won't take Bella and run?"

"Because you were never poisoned."

"The vomiting? My exhaustion? Oh fuck! Fuck fuck bloody fuck!"

She proceeded to repeatedly punch him in the arm while yelling at him, "I'm bloody pregnant? I'm pregnant and you didn't tell me! You covered it up. What the hell Severus? Why would you do this?"

He grabbed her arms to stop her and pulled her into a bear hug to keep her still. He couldn't help laughing at the little spitfire.

"I am absolutely sure I am not the one who did it too you! You can yell at your wife for that. Honestly...you're supposed to be the brightest witch of the last hundred years and you couldn't sort that out. Why didn't you research your mysterious illness? Don't tell me you didn't have time. Deep down I think you knew...you just didn't want to think it! You don't want to acknowledge it. Are you going to go on the run with a baby? You have everything you could possibly want in life! A wife devoted to you, wealth, status, and now a child. Don't you want your child to have the best life? Don't you want her to go to Hogwarts? You have the dream, don't give it up for people who could care less about you. Hermione I wanted to make sure that you were further along before I told you. I am sorry."

She sat quietly for a few minutes while he held her hand and finally she whispered, "We really are doing this aren't we? OK, but if we live through this I am going to kill you and Bella for not telling me. Bloody hell Severus...I am going to be a mom!"


	17. Chapter 17

Dark Effects

Chapter 17

She only had a few hours until battle and now she had to make a shift in her plan. She had no intention of raising her child on the run or in a war which meant everything needed to end tonight. Fortunately she had planned for every contingency and a few tweaks to their plans would do the trick. She had a friend to save first and went in search of Ginny. She finally found her flying around the quidditch pitch. She waived for the girl to land and the two decided to take a walk around the lake, after a couple minutes of walking Ginny finally decided to open the conversation.

"What's up Hermione?"

"It's time to choose Red. I wish I didn't have to make you choose, but the stakes are too high now. I am sorry."

"What are you talking about?"

"I know about the letter to Harry. I know you warned them and I expected that you would. I told you from the beginning that you were the one true person fighting this war. How could you not warn your family? Part of me was always hoping today would never happen but I think I always knew it had to happen. It's ok. Draco knows as well. The fact that even after all the hell your family has put you through you would still try and save them is part of the reason he loves you so much. Unfortunately everyone knows, Harry announced the letter to the entire Order and then gave a list of reasons why everyone should ignore your warning. We know everything that was said at that meeting. I know they are coming through the One Eyed Witch entrance. I don't know what happens after that but that I know for sure. Ginny if you raise an army to help them your army will be slaughtered. I promised Minerva McGonagall I would try and protect the students, don't make me break that promise. Look me in the eye Red…..I have too much to lose to risk silly noble gestures. I will do whatever it takes to win this battle."

Ginny was stunned by Hermione's revelation, "How? The letter….Hermione I…"

Hermione took her hand, "Two ways, spies in the Order and as far as the Honeyduke's part goes….he told us. Honeyduke is a loyal Death Eater. Everyone assumed that somehow selling candy made him a patron of the light but his whole family has been devoted to the dark arts for years."

"But Harry said his brother was murdered defending Dad's office and Order secrets!"

Hermione laughed, "It is always amazing how a story gets twisted as it is retold again and again. His brother was killed in your Dad's office but he wasn't defending it. The coward was trying to hide and before you ask I know because I am the one who killed him. As it turns out the two brothers hated each other and had been fighting over the shop for years. Apparently they had quite the protracted legal battle over their holdings. He was thrilled by his brother's death and felt he owed me one. Look I know why you want to help your family but please understand I can't let this happen. I will do whatever it takes to win. Ginny…..I am pregnant."

"Merlin's balls! How the hell did that happen? Wait…whose baby is it?"

"It's Bella's baby. We conceived with the help of a little magic. I do understand why you want to protect your family but I am going to protect mine. You have a choice Ginny. Everyone knows but they understand why you did this. Draco loves you and will happily marry you. The Malfoys understand and don't hold it against you. We will happily make you part of our family. You can choose to be a Malfoy or you can stay out of this. They light will lose tonight and many will die. I have promised Minerva to protect the students the best I can but the combatants' fates will be grim. You don't have to be one of them. If Harry had heeded your warning he would live to see tomorrow. If he cared about your safety he wouldn't have revealed to a room full of people, several of whom are spies, that you are the one who sent the warning letter. He didn't reveal to a single person in that room what he was coming here for but he easily gave you up. He protected Dumbledore's secrets but not yours. What of their letters back to you? Did they pressure you to help them fight? To recruit more students to die for them? Did they tell you that you must answer the call of the light? Did they let you choose? No? Of course not. I can't give you much of a choice but I will let you choose. You can help us or you can stay in the dormitory with the rest of the students tonight and pick up the pieces of whatever is left of your family when this is over. I cannot let you warn them. You don't have to choose a side. You can stay out of this if you want. For now you will be spending the afternoon having tea with the Carrows to make sure you don't send information to the other side. Let's go!"

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She headed to her quarters after dropping Ginny off. She figured she had an hour until the ball began and everything was addressed. Severus and Draco could deal with any unexpected problems that arose before the festivities began. She was going to take a nice long bath figuring a good soak would loosen up the tension from the day. When she arrived in her quarters she stripped down and headed into her bathroom when she found that not only was a bath already drawn but it was also occupied. She finally truly knew that she made the right decision. She stepped into the large sunken bath and snuggled into her wife's waiting arms.

"I figured you would end up here soon enough love although I was starting to get worried….and a bit wrinkled. How did things go with Ginny?"

"I think she will choose us. Her family hasn't exactly been supportive and she is madly in love with Draco. I didn't tell her everything. I couldn't. We will see how she handles this but I wanted her to choose willingly, not be forced. She doesn't know that the Dark Lord has marked them all for death."

"You know it's for the best angel. We kill off the Order and no one is left to form a rebellion. We are sparing the professors and the students as you requested. You will be able to keep your promise to McGonagall but the remainder of the Order will meet their end tonight. If we let them live they would come after us….after you….after Druella…."

"Druella? You have already named her?"

"It's just a thought….you know we always name after our dead. We could name her after your mother if you want."

"No baby, I know you loved your mother and miss her terribly. We will name her Druella. Plus I can shorten Druella to Dru. There isn't much I can do with Eris."

"Practical on everything, one of the many reasons I love you. There is something else…..I don't want you there tonight."

"I know baby and I don't want to be there but I have to. I can't sit back and do nothing. I don't want to live in a world without you, in a world where they win. We both know that if they win the best I can hope for is they steal our baby from me before they kill me but they will most likely kill us both immediately."

"Are you ready for this angel?"

"No, are you?"

"Yes. We will prevail together or die together but our love is eternal."

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The party had begun without a hitch. The guests began to arrive around seven and by eight the ball was going full swing. Harry's attack on Hogsmeade began at a quarter to eight when the first squad began its distraction tactics by lobbing a variety of fireworks into the village. They began apparating in and out of various locations casting spells with each appearance to draw the guards to them. They apparated to their drop in point dispatching the few guards that were there and made their way through the passage up to the school. When they hit the other side of the passage they took out the two Death Eaters standing guard.

Ron had figured a few of the new recruits were probably spies so all of the new recruits were added to the squad that served as a distraction and they apparated into the shrieking shack. He smiled at the thought of all the Death Eaters waiting for them in the One Eyed Witch passage that were probably bored out of their minds. Hermione never would play wizard's chess with them; strategy was never her strong point. They figured anyone in the group not a Death Eater would be carted off to Azkaban but they would end up at the Ministry first for questioning. Once they defeated the Voldemort taking back the Ministry should be easy enough.

They started crossing the grounds in sets of four and five avoiding the patrols. The first group in quietly petrified the guards at the courtyard entrance and dragged their bodies in to a closet to hide them. Once they stowed the guards away they headed up a set of stairs on that side of the castle to the Room of Requirements. He hadn't known how many people to expect when he got to the Room of Requirements but he was counting on at least fifteen or twenty more wands. The room was empty except for Hermione.

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Ginny was pacing about the room. Spending the evening with the Flora and Hestia Carrow was not what she had envisioned for the final battle. She was still reeling from what Hermione told her. She couldn't believe the biggest swot in Hogwarts history was pregnant before she graduated. She knew Hermione would do anything to keep her family safe and she had seen her handiwork in the past. It didn't matter what Hermione said about Azkaban, no one was actually going there. Hermione would kill them all tonight. It was the logical thing to do and Hermione was always logical. She wouldn't want prisoners; she would want to make a statement. Harry and the Order couldn't afford to let people live either. A stupefy only lasted so long and they were significantly outnumbered. Neither side would be firing many stunners tonight. She couldn't handle the waiting and worrying. She hit the twins with body binds and ran out to join the battle.

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Harry was looking around the room mystified that no one came. The Room had taken the form of the practice room for the D.A. complete with the news clippings still up and practice dummies lining the walls. Deep down he had expected there to be a small army awaiting him and at least one or two of the professors. The Order packed in and Harry could see they were also shocked. Everyone had expected Ginny and at least the Gryffindors, no one expected Hermione standing in the back of the room alone.

"They are locked in their dormitories. There will be no more students following you foolishly into battle." Hermione had appeared out of nowhere and was walking towards him.

Ron was floored, "But the One Eyed Witch passage? Wizard chess!"

She smirked at the confused looks of the other Order members but she knew what he was saying, "All of the years we spent together and you didn't think I would consider you using another passage. Do you really think chess is the only measure of strategizing skills? It didn't matter how you entered, you were always going to end up here. You foolishly sent your advanced unit to their deaths to gain an advantage you never had. You assumed the Room would protect you like it protected us fifth year. If you had ever read Hogwarts: A History like I told you to you would know the Room of Requirement will protect students and that is why it worked so hard to keep Umbridge away from us. Umbridge was harming the students and was considered an invading force. For all of your planning you missed one thing…..none of you are students! You are the invading force. Harry I am here to try and convince you to surrender. If you do the wizards and witches here will be sent to Azkaban and rehabilitated. If not they will die tonight."

"You didn't think this through. You shouldn't have come alone. YOU KILLED SIRIUS! Are you going to try and duel me Hermione, you were never one for practical skills. Do you really think that your books will help you now?"

"Try me Potter."

He sent out a stupefy which she easily deflected, "Predictable as always Harry. You never could see the angles."

The others were content to watch so far not wanting to interfere with Harry's personal grudge.

"You were always bound to the obvious and the easy." She rapidly fire three jinxes out in a row shooting out a stinging jinx and a cracker jinx in one movement and then followed with flipendo. Harry had only managed to counter the first two and was knocked back five feet by the flipendo. Ron threw up a shield to block Hermione's next spell and sent a Densaugeo hex her way. She blocked and laughed. The Order had moved forward and were now in the center of the room, once again foolishly following Harry Potter to their deaths.

"Really Ron, Densaugeo? So the heroic Harry Potter is having someone else fight his battles again. Tell me, the advance unit you sent to Honeyduke's….did you tell them they were going to die? That they were apparating into a trap? Did they blindly follow you to their deaths just like all the people here? Look at them Harry….they are all going to die for you. They think you're their savior."

"You are so confident that you are right you are going to risk the Room opening the doors for your Death Eaters. You're alone Hermione, do you really think that you stand a chance if the Room chooses us. Do you really think you can kill me?"

"Honestly Harry, it's like we were never friends sometimes. Did you ever know me to be unprepared…..oh and I was just proving a point….I can beat you but you aren't mine to kill"

Harry realized his mistake with the practice dummies minutes to late and as Hermione finished her sentence the Death Eaters threw off their glamours.

Voldemort hissed, "You really are a fool Harry Potter" and walked over to where Hermione was standing. "Well done as always Hermione...So Harry, how you like my new wand? It was a gift from Dumbledore, I think it suits me."

Harry had heard that Dumbledore's grave had been robbed but he didn't realize for what. The jibe worked perfectly and he attacked Voldemort in a rage. As soon as the two started fighting the battle broke out around them as the Death Eaters set upon the outmatched and outnumbered Order members. The Order had moved deeper and deeper into the room during Hermione and Harry's fight and the entrance was now fully blocked by Death Eaters. They had been led into a trap and there was no escape.

With all the chaos no one noticed the door opening to allow entry to one more redhead. Ginny stunned Alecto before she could fire an Avada at Charlie and started to fight her way to her family. Hermione saw the girl enter and was saddened to know she would have to kill her. She returned her focus to Oliver Wood who was fortunately better with a broom than he was with a wand. She threw up her shield to block his jinx and hit him with Avada Kedavra. Seconds later felt a burning in her back as she was propelled to the floor. She rolled over despite her burns and saw Fleur Weasley coming towards her, her eyes glinting with anger. She felt for her wand and saw that it had been knocked across the room.

She tried to backpedal towards it as Fleur closed the distance between them and she realized she wasn't going to make it. She saw the girl step over Yaxley's body as she moved towards her. Clearly the Veela had no qualms about killing.

"I never trusted you! Nag, nag, nag! All you did is nag and study. You always acted superior to the rest of us, say goodbye Hermione!" She closed her eyes and concentrated on trying to raise a wandless shield when she felt something swish past her. She opened her eyes to see Nagini wrapping herself around Fleur. She saw an Order member pull a knife and head for Nagini and she ran to her wand, snatched it up and hit him with an Incendio before he could strike turning the would-be assassin into a ball of flames.

"Nagini, remember that French food gives you heartburn" she hissed and with that she jumped back into the fray. The forces were thinning and Harry and Voldemort were still in the middle dueling. The Dark Lord knew he couldn't battle his own soul with a wand, even the Elder wand, and was just playing with Harry while his Death Eaters destroyed the Order. He needed the Elder Wand to keep his wand from being destroyed like his others. The Elder wand was invincible so although he couldn't kill Harry with it, Harry in turn could not rely on the same protections from their previous duels.

The Order was thinning as they fell to the Death Eaters' superior numbers and combat skills. Hermione was now fighting Bill who was doing a fantastic job of trying to kill her to avenge his wife. He was skilled with a wand and an even match for Hermione. They were blocking each other's curses with ease and had been dueling for a good ten minutes without letting up. Hermione was blocking a slicing hex when she heard a familiar voice scream "Draco!"

She turned in time to see Ron hit Draco hit with Sectumsempra. Ginny ran to her fallen boyfriend and started chanting the counter-curse to save him. Both Hermione and Bill stopped fighting as Ron turned his wand on Ginny.

"He is the bloke you have been taking up with? You're shagging Malfoy? You traitorous bitch! He just fucking killed Lee, George and Charlie! He killed your brothers! Fine! You want be with him…then you die like him" Ron moved to hex her. Ginny reacted quickly and deflected his curse not thinking of the consequences outside of Draco and her safety. Ron had reaped what he sowed as the Sectumsempra rebounded and struck him down. Bill took the opportunity and punched Hermione sending her down again and moved in to finish the job. Before he could follow up with a curse Bellatrix hit Bill with entrail-expelling curse, the results of which were both disgusting and fatal. Molly went to avenge her son and was dueling with Bellatrix all the while screaming at Ginny about killing her brother. Ginny didn't even look up from Draco as Molly and Bellatrix fought nearby.

She just kept chanting 'Vulnera Sanentur' over and over as she healed Draco while her brother sat dying next to her. She only had time to heal one of them. One of the Order members fired a Reducto curse at Ginny missing her by only inches and blowing apart right next to her. Hermione pulled herself up and started firing off covering fire so Ginny could pull Draco away from the fight. Once he was secure in the corner Ginny joined her in fighting off the other Order members. Ginny had chosen her side.

Bellatrix knew that not only her life was on the line but that of her wife and child and she had never been more focused in her life. Molly, who was distracted by her daughter's betrayal, never had a chance as Bellatrix destroyed her defenses and screamed "Attero pectus pectoris" finishing her with Dolohov's curse. Hermione grabbed Ginny's arm as Molly collapsed to the ground and cautioned her, "You chose your side Red. You need to keep it in until we are done and then you mourn for your family in private. OK?"

Ginny nodded her agreement but the girl was shell shocked and sat in the corner guarding Draco as the battle continued. Most of the Order was gone and Harry looked exhausted from defending himself against the Dark Lord. He had no idea that the last twenty minutes had been about toying with him enough to weaken him and deal the final blow. In a desperation move Arthur, in a fit of rage after losing so much of his family, tried to hex the Dark Lord from behind. Hermione jumped in between the two and blocked the curse instinctively. She fired an Avada back and Arthur was on the ground before she had even realized what she had done. Her instincts were now honed to guard her Lord and she realized she was truly his servant now. Voldemort stopped dueling, looked to Arthur's body and laughed.

"Look around Harry Potter. Look at their bodies. Their deaths are your responsibility. They died like fools following you to their slaughter. You have lost boy…it is time for you to join your loved ones."

Harry screamed and charged the Dark Lord firing off stupefies as he ran. Voldemort easily deflected the spells and once Harry was close enough he pulled the Basilisk fang out of his sleeve. Hermione could see all the hope drain out of Harry's eyes as the Dark Lord buried the fang in his chest. The battle stopped and the few Order members remaining dropped their wands surrendering to the Death Eaters.

"My followers, I give you Harry Potter….the boy who died!"

Draco had woken back up and he and Hermione led Ginny out of the room. No Order member in the room would be allowed to live whether they surrendered or not, including Ginny's remaining brothers. Draco brought Ginny back to his quarters to let her properly process what happened and grieve. Hermione didn't have that luxury now and scourgified herself and transfigured her robes into a dress.

She was one of the hosts of the party and would be expected to make an appearance. The Great Hall had been well guarded to make sure none of the sixth or seventh years managed to sneak out and no one had heard a thing. The party carried on throughout the battle. She nodded to the guards letting them know they could relax a little and then entered the hall heading straight to the bar for a glass of juice and a gillywater. She took a seat near Minerva and passed her the drink.

"Gillywater, your favorite. It's done. No current students have been harmed. Tomorrow the victory will be announced in the Prophet. Harry never had a chance."

Minerva sighed. She expected this news but hoped against it, "and Ginerva?"

"She chose Draco. I kept my promise Minerva. No students were touched, the goons will be gone by morning and Severus will be giving a speech tonight ushering in a new era at Hogwarts…..free of the conflict and stereotyping created by the house system. I know there will be rebellions but do try and keep them out of the school."

"That's not my problem, it's Severus' problem."

"Severus will be taking a position in the Ministry as will I. Among the things he will be doing tonight in his speech is announcing his retirement and his replacement. Hogwarts is supposed to be about having a safe place to learn to practice magic not about wars and politics. Even the Dark Lord appreciates that. Logic and reason are rewarded by this administration. You chose to protect the students over politics and you will be rewarded and given the opportunity to continue to do so. With oversight of course."

"Of course. The Carrows?"

"You get to sack them. A pleasure doing business with you Minerva."

Moments later her wife came by and pulled her on to the dance floor.

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Epilogue –

Hermione was snapped out of her memories by Pius finally wrapping up his speech. She was sitting on the dais behind him with Severus, Bella, Ginny, Lucius, Draco and several others who were being honored with Order of Merlin awards for their service in the Second Wizarding War. Hermione was seriously showing now and all she wanted was a cool glass of lemonade and some shade. She had dreamed a few times about what it would be like to carry an honor as high as Order of Merlin First Class but she had never imagined it would come this way. She took Ginny's hand and smiled at the witch.

Ginny and Draco were to be married once Ginny finished up her NEWTs. Unlike Hermione, there would be no surprise ceremonies or pregnancies. Ginny had taken a few months to mourn for her family but accepted her fate and adapted to her new life quickly. She loved Draco and she loved the Malfoys and in the end it was enough.

Hermione was to head the new Department of Defense and Strategy which was a nice way of saying War Department. She would be working closely with Severus who was Head of the Department of Mysteries. The two had their run of the place and Pius Thickiness was merely a figure piece. They ran the Ministry. Bella was still the Dark Lord's favorite enforcer and was given a title of Unspeakable but she only answered to the Dark Lord and still had no use for the Ministry and its rules. Hermione loved this about her.

She had found that life was easier once she committed to switching sides. She sometimes thought about her parents…her real parents and wondered what they would think about the hypocritical monster she had become but then she would put her hand on her stomach or Bella would do something sweet and she realized it didn't matter. She had a new family now and the life she always dreamed of. She was one of the most powerful witches in England and as the Dark Lord increased his domain her power would increase as well.

She stood to accept her Order of Merlin and realized that if she had to do it all over again she would choose the same path.

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The Dark Lord sat in his study looking out at the party in the garden below. The ceremony for the Order of Merlin awards and the celebration after were held at the Castle. He looked down upon his Inner Circle who were enjoying the afternoon. It looked like Hermione was trying to fix up Dolohov again. He chuckled at the thought and was surprised she hadn't learned after that dreadful date she had sent Severus on. All of his cabinet and Inner Circle who had made it through the war had been rewarded lavishly and he made sure they were taken care of.

He used the distraction of the party to finish up the last of his tasks in this matter.

"My Lord I have brought everything you requested….the potion used on Granger, the letter from Moody and file on Severus."

Moody had owled him before his demise with the damning evidence. It was a vial of memories of Hermione and Severus' deceptions, a vial of the potion that changed Hermione's bloodline and a file on all of their Order activities. Moody was always a clever Auror and he figured if he couldn't kill them himself he would make sure their fellow Death Eaters did so. The Dark Lord took the three items and tossed them into the fire destroying them completely.

"My Lord, if I may, why didn't you keep them? Why are you letting a mudblood walk among your followers and the traitor Snape live?"

"Peter, social beliefs are merely excuses for the strong to rule the weak. In the end it's always about the haves and have nots. I don't care that Granger is a mudblood. She was a force to be reckoned with from her first day at Hogwarts and she was the secret behind Potter's success. The minute Dumbledore decided to change her blood status and make her a spy he handed me the war. He presumed she would be driven away by our darkness but he didn't count on the Order giving in to their own. He did not understand that we can and do love and could not fathom that wrapped in that love, the lure of the dark would be so strong. Creating Hermione Malfoy Crouch was his most brilliant plan and his ultimate undoing. He saw Hermione and Severus as soldiers, as tools to use in the fight. He saw my Death Eaters as mere caricatures. It never occurred to him that Severus and Hermione would find true friendship and love among them, that they could make a life among us. Severus was torn about Lily and thought he loved her but all he really needed was family. Hermione became that family. Bellatrix is my greatest enforcer but she was erratic and lonely. Hermione gave her stability and love. Hermione felt unwanted and unappreciated. She saw Harry and Ron as brothers but they never embraced that role…..Severus filled it perfectly. She always felt like the ugly duckling but Bella's obsessive personality gives her all of the love she sought. They are the perfect balance to each other. Bella will be loyal to me with her last breath and Severus and Hermione were both loyal to their side until their side betrayed them and even then it took multiple betrayals before they finally turned. They chose me. Do you even understand the risk I took that night Peter? I gave them everything they needed to destroy me and they chose me instead. I knew she would choose to give her child a life in my world, in Bella's world. She murdered Weasley to protect me. Their loyalties are to me now and absolute and I will never betray them. This world needs a pureblood so she will be a pureblood. In England it will be blood but in the next country the rallying cry will be something else. I have no intentions of stopping here. The three of them are a perfect triumvirate of terror and with their help I will claim this world. I will be greater than Merlin. I will rule over this world and they will be the ones standing beside me…they will be the key to MY success and I will give them everything they desire. I have no intention of anyone finding out about Hermione and I know she and Severus will never tell. I just needed to destroy all of the evidence. Hermione is going to be sad she missed this."

With that he hit Pettigrew with a Petrificus Totalus, "Nagini…dinner."

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